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Rating:
LA RECENSIONE
I only knew Stephen Merritt for those cavernous voices, so vintage in interpretation that I couldn't quite appreciate them, even though they were bolstered by always intelligent and absolutely unpredictable arrangements. Now Stephen Merritt sounds distorted like the Jesus and Mary Chain (he says), and since echo-filled distortions are one of those things that make me the happiest in the world, I give that baritone voice another chance, somewhat intrigued by the proposed combination.
Even though everything in this album is filtered through a sticky patina of distorted echoes and reverberations, more than in Shoegaze territory, the impression is that of facing the Red House Painters in a full-blown cheerful crisis, or conversely, the Beach Boys discovering the melancholic and distorted side of rock. From this point of view, the piece that sounds most ingenious to me is "California Girls", with that Phil Spector-like voice over a lo-fi ultra-reverberated wall of sound. Nonetheless, the greatness of the record lies in its being unabashedly full of references yet never trivially revivalist. Stephen Merritt plays with various citations, sometimes extremely, but they all come together to form another piece of what has always been his poetics (at least as I perceive it), that is, music of memory, or nostalgia, a calm losing oneself in a glimpse of memory.
In conclusion, it is a record that holds the power of storytelling, which makes it confusingly genius, especially in its evident citation of rock culture forms that are light-years apart.
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Summary by Bot
The Magnetic Fields' album Distortion reinvents Stephen Merritt's vocal style with a rich layer of distorted echoes reminiscent of shoegaze and reverberated rock. The record skillfully balances nostalgic references to diverse rock influences without feeling merely revivalist. Songs like 'California Girls' stand out for their inventive production and evocative atmosphere. Ultimately, the album is praised for its storytelling and unique sonic texture.Tracklist Videos
The Magnetic Fields
The Magnetic Fields are an American indie-pop project led by songwriter Stephin Merritt, widely noted for Merritt’s baritone voice, sharp lyrics, concept-driven records, and arrangements spanning lo-fi synth-pop to distortion-heavy shoegaze textures.13 Reviews
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