Computer Age

The Magnetic Fields
Distortion
(Nonesuch 2008)

A Stephen Merritt has always liked to play with the sounds of different eras and styles, exploited shamelessly as other musicians have done and discuss it without a blush, because deep down everybody knows it does but does not say (or not know), knows that very few can be done 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 paved.
This time has returned to mix tunes with choruses of 50 or 60 surf riffs, feedback and reberb 70 rhythms, couplings or distortions of 80, she's put in the mixer, has added a dash of Phil senior Spector, Pop a bottle of special reserve, he stirred it with keys, guitars, cello, accordion and banjo driven by their regular partners (Sam Davol, Claudia Gonson, John Woo, and the collaboration of Daniel Handler on accordion) until the mixture was left to their liking. This time they wanted to present the sights and sounds of the blender. 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're on the second or third song and see that the background noise is a constant all of them is the first thing that comes to mind (by the way and although the results did not have much to do, it also reminded me of 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 through and through. If the J & MC Psychocandy the body was the noise and melody embellishments in the melody Distortion is the body and complements decorative 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 emphasize and dazzling personally convinces me more than that of Shirley Simms, who had sung in the brilliant "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 each instrument amplifiers to get close enough couplers), except the battery. In the words of S. Merritt to satisfy their most rock fans. It starts the album with two songs fledged surf, a slick instrumental and "California Girls", which take advantage of to bring a touch of provocation by declaring they hate California girls. With very simple foundation of bass and drums, as in almost all of the disk, we have the slow "Old Fools" that the old can also dance, sing and love. In "Xavier Says" a dialogue of contempt and Xavier Zsa-Zsa is the argument. Short songs, classic pop format, with melodies and riffs but wonderfully smooth embedded, highly engaging and addictive, wrapped in layers of sound. In "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 half of Stephen Merritt and Shirley Simms, begins the series of most rock songs while more catchy and commercial, along with "Drive On, Driver", which reminds me of the Eurythmics, and the gorgeous "Too Drunk To Dream" convinced apology to drunkenness. In "Zombie Boy", do voodoo to moonlight 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 that wants to be a playboy bunny, an artists' model or a porn star (although this will wait until his mother died), and in closing the disk, telling of the life of prostitutes, "Courtesans".
And The Magnetic Fields is that they sing of love like no one knows how, from original viewpoints, 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 achacaría abuse and the repetition of the plea or concept with which they wanted to wear the disc: the base-coupling-noise distortion, although original, is just becoming slightly monotonous and predictable, going afloat without problems thanks to the great songs that sustain it. Recommended 100% POP lovers and that perfection is the sweats.