Magnetic Fields: i : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Last time out, the Magnetic Fields released the Magnificent 69 Love Songs, which found resident genius Stephin Merritt (and a cast of little-known vocalists) delivering sixty-nine witty, catchy ditties that referenced Ferdinand de Saussure and compared love to a bottle of gin. With I, the Magnetic Fields' seventh album, Merritt narrows his focus, handling all the vocals himself and cutting down on his famously insincere role-playing. The appeal of these fourteen slow, pretty songs still lies in Merritt's ability to mix self-conscious confessions with the light charm of pre-rock pop. Over his band's usual pitter-patter (heavy on banjo, cello and piano), Merritt uses his deep croon to turn out memorable melodies and deep-feeling one-liners, sounding both wry and genuinely sad as he wishes he had an evil twin and tells an ex, "I thought you were my boyfriend." I doesn't have all of 69 Love Songs' expansiveness and droll humor, but there's no denying the bittersweet charisma of Merritt's pop craftsmanship.