The Magnetic Fields Move Fast on NACC, Snag Reviews From The Guardian and The Atlantic

The Guardian has given the new Magnetic Fields album four out of five stars, writing that “all the possible [Stephin] Merritts are on board, from stentorian intellectual chansonnier to giddy teenage new waver – one whose amused air rarely falters, even when listing painful physical ailments (‘Weird Diseases’), or being misunderstood (‘Quotes’).” The UK paper says “the joys here are many” thanks to Merrit’s “magnificent way with a tune, in which complexity lurks within simplicity.” Read the review here.

The Atlantic has a larger piece on the album, calling it “lovable and frequently brilliant.” According to the Atlantic, the thematic throughline of the album is that music can change lives, and the best moments come when the often-sardonic singer “leavens his sarcasm with rare moments of childlike wonder—usually to describe his relationships not with people, but with art.” Read the feature here.

50 Song Memoir was the biggest mover on the NACC chart last week, even though many stations had yet to receive their physical copies.

Check out “’85: Why I Am Not a Teenager” below: