Computer Age

The Magnetic Fields
Distortion
(Nonesuch 2008)

A Stephen Merritt has always liked playing with the sounds from different eras and styles, shamelessly take advantage of what other musicians have done and discuss it without the slightest shame, because deep down everybody knows it does but does not say (or not know it), knows that very few are able to do with the skill with which he does and knows that no one invents anything that is not based on what others have done. Do not try to fool anyone, which is not deluding himself, from there the way of making sincere and personal work is smooth.
This time has come to mix tunes with choruses of 50 or 60 surf riffs, feedback and reverberation of the 70 rhythms, fittings or distortions of the 80, has gotten into the mixer, has added a splash of Phil senior Spector, Pop a bottle of special reserve, he turned with keys, guitars, cello, banjo and accordion driven by their regular partners (Sam Davol, Claudia Gonson, John Woo, and the collaboration of Daniel Handler on accordion) until the mixture was to your liking. This time they wanted to present the sights and sounds of the mixer. Of course, Merritt knows that and others have done before, has not stopped repeating that Jesus & Mary Chain have been the basis of this idea, when you go for a second or third song and see that the background noise is a constant these is the first thing that comes to mind (by the way and although the results do not have much to do, it also reminded me the first Penelope Trip when they recorded with a vacuum cleaner running musical based). But there are clear differences between both jobs, this is a Magnetic Fields album on all four sides. If the J & MC Psychocandy the body was the noise and melody embellishments in the melody Distortion is the body and a decorative complement noise. In this sense, has proved much more groundbreaking work of J & MC. The Magnetics Fields have to settle for making flawless pop songs and sublime. Merritt's voice continues to highlight and dazzling personally convinces me more than that of Shirley Simms, who had sung in the great "69 Lovesongs", providing the voice for the job in half the songs.
"Distortion" is the eighth album by The Magnetic Fields, and the second for the label Nonesuch Records. All instruments have been recorded with feedback or feedback effects (placing the amplifiers of each instrument close enough to get links), except the battery. In the words of S. Merritt to satisfy their most rock fans. He begins the album with two songs fledged surf, a slick instrumental and "California Girls", which take the opportunity to provide a touch of provocation by declaring they hate the girls in California. With bases simple bass and drums, as in almost all of the disk, we have the slow "Old Fools" that the old can also dance, sing and fall in love. In "Xavier Says" contempt dialogue and Xavier Zsa-Zsa is the argument. Short songs, classic pop format, with simple melodies and riffs but wonderfully embedded, highly engaging and addictive, wrapped in layers and layers of sound. On "Mr. Mistletoe "Stephen Merritt sings a sad Christmas song with the voice of crooner rocked by timid galactic doo-wop chorus of angels hidden among the trees and snow. With "Please Stop Dancing" sung Stephen halfway between Merritt and Shirley Simms, begins the series of rock songs while more catchy and commercial, along with "Drive On, Driver", which reminds me of the Eurythmics, and the wonderful "Too Drunk To Dream", convinced the drunken apology. In "Zombie Boy" voodoo to make light of the moon in Haiti, while still dreaming of lonely nights in "I'll Dream Alone." Shirley Simms returns to fully convince the infectious "The Nun's Litany" when he sings he wants to be a Playboy bunny, an artists' model or a porn star (although it will wait until his mother died) and in which closed the disc, and speak of the life of prostitutes, "courtesans."
And The Magnetic Fields is that they sing of love like no one knows how, from original points of view, ironic and full of double meaning, looking surprised at all times. Like any work that is not perfect (and this, as much as I like, not) has its flaws. In this case I will achacaría abuse and repeated motif or concept with which they are trying to put on the album: the noise-coupling-base distortion, though original, is just becoming somewhat monotonous and predictable, going afloat without problems thanks to great songs that sustain it. Recommended 100% POP lovers and that perfection is the sweat.