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i - Magnetic Fields
User Score
9.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14

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  1. OtterKinderhaus
    May 10, 2004
    9
    Damn...what an enjoyable album. Highly recommended for one and all.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. A.Cerny
    May 4, 2004
    8
    Good album overall. Oftentimes the syrup melodies remain hidden behind the massive backdrop of Merritt's ambitious arrangments, but on the whole, this is a very enjoyable album that fits well as a solemn coda to "69 Love Songs"
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. EmiliaR
    May 5, 2004
    10
    Love it! Not the strongest ever (as a whole) but the stand-out songs are as good as Stephin has ever written.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. markf
    May 6, 2004
    8
    How could Stephin Merritt top The Magnetic Fields' magnum opus "69 Love Songs"? The answer is: he can't. But this is a worthy follow-up, full of his lyrics which walk a tightrope between heartbreak and sly wit. He has narrowed the band's musical focus to include mostly just cello, banjo, ukulele, piano and various percussion. In fact, the upbeat "I Don't Believe You" and "I Don't Really Love You Anymore" demonstrate just how poppy those combos of instruments can be. "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" sounds like a dance club classic, even though it's almost impossible to believe that there's "no synths" as the liner notes claim. My favorite slower songs are the wittiest: "I Wish I Had an Evil Twin" and "In an Operetta." If you haven't heard Merrit's voice before, you may initially have problems, but I think he's definitely "improving" with age, but that doesn't matter to my wife and 13-year-old daughter; they both love eveything the guy does. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. JimmyBuffett
    May 6, 2004
    10
    The best album Jimmy Buffett's heard all year!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. jasont
    Nov 7, 2004
    9
    Wow. Any fan of 80's pop/rock in the mold of the smiths needs this and other Magnetic Fields recordings immediately.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. LawrenceP
    Jan 15, 2005
    8
    Yes "69 love songs" is better...but that was a modern day masterpiece.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. SaraL
    Jan 20, 2006
    10
    Dark, cheerful, and catchy..."I don't really love you anymore" is my favorite.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. alexf
    Jul 25, 2007
    9
    Another great album by Stephin Merritt.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. Shane
    May 29, 2004
    10
    2nd best CD of the year (to Franz Ferdinand.) Merritt's lyrics are just as powerful as ever, and the music is just as crisp.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. AlexA
    Jun 22, 2004
    9
    The album seems to be a dreary return to the days of 80's british rock, the album is quite catchy. You may find your self reciting the amazingly simple lyrics over and over in your head with out realizing it, but the complexity of the melodies is something that will intrigue the critic who is searching for something a little bit deeper.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. JohnA
    Feb 18, 2005
    8
    Do not be off-put by guarded and jaded Pitchfork reviews or those joyless imbeciles at Uncut. 69LS was untoppable, but Merrit's dewy sentimentalism, flinty cynicism and appetite for seduction remain unstoppable.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Blender
    80
    At times, i turns dangerously slow and arty.... But for the first time, [Merritt's] lethargic croak also emits a few degrees of human warmth. [May 2004, p.124]
  2. Alternative Press
    100
    Beautifully melodic, quietly clever and painfully smart. [Jul 2004, p.136]
  3. All Music Guide
    70
    Merritt's kitchen produces pop confections that can rot teeth, but the bitter aftertaste owes more to Randy Newman than it does Belle & Sebastian.
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