Record Review: The Magnetic Fields - "Distortion"

Rating: 5.4 / 10.0

In music, there are those who shirk the norms, and those who imitate them. Throughout their lengthy and illustrious career, the Magnetic Fields have consistently broken from tradition, marched to the beat of their own drum. “69 Love Songs” is an immortal testament to the Fields’ quirky style of songwriting and performance. Stephen Merritt and company have always boasted acerbic tongues, but have never stopped wearing their hearts on their sleeves. The result was sometimes strange, sometimes difficult to swallow or appreciate, but always charming, always different.

That’s why “Distortion” was such a letdown. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a good album. There really isn’t a weak track on it. All the songs display a mastery of song craft rarely encountered in modern music, but we’ve come to expect that from the Fields; all their albums showcase Merritt’s immense talent as a writer, and “Distortion” is no exception in that regard. That’s not why this album disappointed me. The thing that really got my goat about this album is that all the originality and endearing weirdness about the Fields’ previous work is completely lost on this album. Too many of the early tracks sound like rejects from Challengers. That’s right: rather than bittersweet indie rock peppered with cellos and banjos, complimented by Merritt’s delightfully caustic wit, we get New Pornographers b-sides (see “California Girls,” “Old Fools,” “Xavier Says,” and “Please Stop Dancing”).

“Too Drunk to Dream” is the standout track on the album, and in many ways, I regard it as the first track on the album (it’s from this point on that the band seems to remember its identity; the last six tracks sound like songs off the new Magnetic Fields album). “Too Drunk” song hearkens back to the Fields we know and love: the a cappella introduction (not unlike “How Fucking Romantic” off “69 Love Songs”) leading into a danceable study in self-deprecation: “So why do I get plastered, / and why am I so lonely? / It’s you, you heartless bastard / You’re my one and only”.

Maybe I’m too hard on the Fields. It’s true, I hold them at a higher - or different - standard to the rest of the artists out there. So take this review with a grain of salt if you will, but I think the Magnetic Fields are better than this record. Listen to “i” and then listen to “Distortion.” There is truly no comparison. For a band that has proven time and time again that they don’t need to imitate the work of others to be effective, this effort is not inspiring in the least. I’d guess the best way to sum it up is that “Distortion” is a fun album that could very well disappoint fans. Unless of course those fans are not familiar with A.C. Newman.


-PTC