The Magnetic Fields: Distortion

Label: Nonesuch

With a first track that thunders in like a surf rock/Jesus and Mary Chain mashup, it’s clear from the start that Distortion represents a new aesthetic wrinkle for Stephin Merritt’s motley Magnetic Fields. While 2004’s spotty I found Merritt flailing into too-crisp adult-alternative territory, the band’s latest effort embraces noise and mess to great effect. As the title implies, the entire album is swathed in layers of feedback, which half-submerges Merritt’s dramatic baritone into an appealing intimacy. Merritt shares vocal responsibilities with the terrific Shirley Simms (who figured prominently throughout 69 Love Songs); her liquid alto hovers just above the oceans of guitar squall, bringing brightness to the album’s best songs. Distortion finds Merritt’s trademark lyric acerbity (among the topics this time around: getting drunk to avoid dreaming, a nun who wants to be a centerfold, and, well, “Zombie Boy”) combining with some of the most infectious melodies of his career. The close, intentionally murky production highlights the perfect simplicity of the Magnetic Fields’ trademark sad, bouncy love songs; Distortion reminds us that nobody does them better. (Anna)