Audio By Carbonatix
The Magnetic Fields’ i is no 69 Love Songs. Keep that in mind, and you’ll enjoy it more. Like that magnificent three-disc album, i is a concept record with 14 songs whose titles begin with the letter “I.” Front man Stephin Merritt relishes this kind of challenge and restraint, which seems to unleash–or at least channel–him rather than bind. i‘s songs are quirky, snarky, witty, self-deprecating, poignant, simple and orchestrated–just not as much so. Two of the differences are that the orchestration is all hand-played (basically, no synthesizers), and Merritt sings each song himself instead of calling on 69‘s contributing vocalists. The latter is a double-edged sword: Merritt’s voice is sincere, interesting and emotional (meaning unpolished), but that detracts as often as it adds. He’s like Burt Bacharach, a brilliant composer with an adequate voice. But sometimes you’d rather have Dionne Warwick belt out “I Say a Little Prayer.” A few tracks on i (especially the piano-banjo-strings pop number “I Don’t Believe You”) rival the greatest on 69, redeeming the album but placing it at least a distant second.
When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
