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EDIT INFOMagnetic Fields - Distortion
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Album Details
- Artist: Magnetic Fields
- Album: Distortion
- Label: Nonesuch
- Year of Release: 2008
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: MusicCritic on 2012-03-14
RecommendThe Magnetic Fields' Distortion is one of the early accomplishments of the year. Songwriter Stephin Merritt has a long history of interesting projects, including 1999's 69 Love Songs, and while Distortion isn't as outwardly conceptual, it certainly possesses the same unique aura.
The album suggests a crazier Brian Wilson - guitar washes, loads of reverb and luminous melodies that belie the dark and tortured lyrics. 'California Girls' poses as the long awaited duet between the Beach Boys and Charles Manson - a hate letter to the title heiresses on "their big bright screen," culminating in a woozy death threat that sounds almost as appealing as it does threatening. 'Xavier Says' is a twisted screenplay that magnifies malicious indifference. On 'Too Drunk to Dream,' twisted barbershop melodies sing, "Sober, life is a prison / Shitfaced, it is a blessing." This is hardly 'Help Me, Rhonda.'
Merritt lives comfortably in the grey area between genius and crazy, and Distortion is the ultimate teetering act on the brink between anti-social and sociopathic, where a sunny disposition doesn't necessarily suggest happiness.
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on 2008-01-27 redblondehead Said:
According to SPIN, Distortion only sounds "kinda" like honey. The Magnetic Field's sequel to Psychocandy is hardly a sequel, but it does pay homage to this greatly influential band. However, like I said, it is NOT a sequel. It doesn't sound like Jesus and Mary Chain one bit. It doesn't have those typically simple lyrics (Ex: I want your candy/I want stuff). The sound is still very much Magnetic Fields-esque. They sound more like the Beach Boys on "California Girls" and "Drive On, Driver." And their lyrics are more dense, more complicated that JMC. If you look at the titles of these songs: "The Nuns Litany" and "Courtesans," among others, you can see that these songs won't be about any drugs. Which I think is what made JMC great: their lyrics weren't very good, their organization just mediocre, but their overall delivery was great. "Too Drunk To Dream" is a really funny track about acceptable forms of alcoholism, which I guess JMC could probably relate to. "Zombie Boy" is haunting, Steve Merritts voice yet again overpowering the song. "Three Way" is just a bunch of feedback bouncing off the walls and three shouts: THREE WAY! spread out through the song. But in general this is great effort. They try to sound more "JMC" than JMC ever did, which maybe could have been done a different way, but then you wouldn't get these great yet authentic tracks from the Magnetic Fields.
Not Rated
