Obscurities - Stephin Merritt
Obscurities Image
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics What's this?

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  • Summary: The singer-songwriter from The Magnetic Fields releases a solo album of B-sides, compilation cuts, and various unreleased material.
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Lo-Fi, Indie Electronic, Indie Pop
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    Aug 23, 2011
    91
    Nine seven-inches etc. plus five previously unreleaseds including three remnants of an abandoned musical obviously add up to an intentional hodgepodge. Still, I wonder whether the intention was to backload.
  2. Rolling Stone
    Sep 14, 2011
    80
    Yeah, he's a romantic; a cynic, too. But above all, a songwriter: brilliant, perverse, funny as human nature. Which is pretty damn funny.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Sep 14, 2011
    80
    Yeah, he's a romantic; a cynic, too. But above all, a songwriter: brilliant, perverse, funny as human nature. Which is pretty damn funny.
  4. Q Magazine
    Dec 15, 2011
    60
    There's enough to help fans rekindle the love affair. [Dec. 2011 p. 129]
    All this publication's reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. AlanPosey
    8
    I discovered 69 Love Songs about 4 years ago, thanks to the film Tarnation, and have since been scouring the Magnetic Fields catalog as well as Merritt's side projects like The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, Gothic Archies, (Hell I even purchased Showtunes), etc. Not to take away anything from those albums but Obscurities transcends into the realm of 69 Love Songs and still feels fresh and new. I love this album. "When I'm not Looking, You're Not There" is flat out fantastic. A melody developed where every note is a different instrument. I could listen to an entire album of songs with that concept. As long as Merritt was behind them. Overall 8/10 even though I couldn't ask for a better collection of B-Sides...unless he's got another 69 Love Songs laying around...… Expand

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