THE MAGNETIC FIELDS - DISTORTION (LP + CD)

The Magnetic Fields Distortion On Vinyl LP + CD

Distortion, The Magnetic Fields’ second Nonesuch release, features the brilliant melodies and wry lyrics that composer and band leader Stephin Merritt has long been praised for, but as the album title suggests, he serves them up with a twist. The songs are startlingly enveloped in layers of live feedback that recall the noisy pop provocations of legendary Scottish quartet The Jesus and Mary Chain.

As album producer, Merritt takes a completely novel approach to his deployment of feedback, going well beyond mere fuzzed-out guitar to incorporate cello, piano and accordion into his mad-scientist mix. What he’s conjured up is a gorgeous drone that reverberates over the length of 13 tunes from the exuberantly rocking opener, “Three Way,” to the soused, sing-along lament, “Too Drunk To Dream,” to the bittersweet closer, “Courtesans.”  Merritt’s doleful baritone is employed to great effect on the brooding, lonely-guy balladry of “Mr. Mistletoe” and the horror movie meets romantic comedy of “Zombie Boy.” But he swaps lead vocal chores throughout Distortion with Shirley Simms, a singer who longtime fans will recognize from her performances on the Magnetic Fields’ career-making 1999 three-disc set, 69 Love Songs. Merritt calls Simms’ voice “as pop as pop gets” and gives her some of the cleverest numbers, including “California Girls,” a Beach Boys-style anti-anthem about murderous envy, and “The Nun’s Litany,” a chastely rendered list of extremely naughty fantasies.

This Vinyl package also includes a bonus CD of the entire album.

The Magnetic Fields Distortion Track Listing

1. There-Way
2. California Girls
3. Old Fools
4. Xavier Says
5. Mr. Mistletoe
6. Please Stop Dancing
7. Drive On, Driver
8. Too Drunk To Dream
9. Till The Bitter End
10. I’ll Dream Alone
11. The Nun's Litany
12. Zombie Boy
13. Courtesans