Irresistible forces
The Magnetic Fields, 2008-07-10, Cadogan Hall, London
I'm never sure how to pigeonhole the Magnetic Fields. Disco torch songs? Tragicomic cabaret? 'Ironic synthpop' seems most accurate, yet at this show they were unplugged and heartbreakingly sincere.
I'd downloaded their current album with an excitement that sadly dissipated as I heard the songs, or rather, strained to hear them underneath Distortion's deliberate distortion. So when j4 bought me birthday tickets, I was grateful but trepidatious.
We needn't have worried. The show made a splendid (re)introduction to the new songs by dismantling the wall of sound. I do wish Stephin Merritt, adored for lyrics which are pretty and witty and gay, would give up burying them in the mix (as on everything he recorded before 69 Love Songs) or smothering them in fuzz. He's surely neither tongue-tied nor bashful.
Cadogan Hall is a converted church near Sloane Square, grand, white and airy. The band made an understated entrance, taking some time to settle down; Claudia invited people standing to claim empty seats in the front row, which they did, slowly. Looking over the side from our pew, Stephin was out of sight. He was also out of sorts and out of patience, the band having only just been reunited with instruments mislaid in transit on the penultimate night of the tour. Nonetheless, as Stephin, Claudia and Shirley sang each other's songs promiscuously, his singing voice was still lugubriously expressive.
It was an eclectic set with songs from the last three Magnetic Fields albums, both 6ths discs, even the obscure soundtracks (though nothing from the Future Bible Heroes). In alphabetical order, reconstructed from memory:
All Dressed Up In Dreams / As You Turn To Go / The Book Of Love / California Girls / Courtesans / Crows / Dreams Anymore / Drive On, Driver / Give Me Back My Dreams / Grand Canyon / I Looked All Over Town / I Wish I Had An Evil Twin / If You Don't Cry / It's Only Time / No One Will Ever Love You / The Nun's Litany / Old Fools / Papa Was A Rodeo / Take Ecstasy With Me / This Little Ukelele / Three-Way / Too Drunk To Dream / Walking My Gargoyle / What A Fucking Lovely Day! / When I'm Out of Town / Yeah! Oh Yeah! / Zombie Boy.
Four songs about dreams! Lost dreams, of course. j4 held my hand in defiance through every song of sad regret. Then they had to play 'It's Only Time'. And 'Grand Canyon', and 'As You Turn To Go'. And there was something in my eye, damn it.
I'm never sure how to pigeonhole the Magnetic Fields. Disco torch songs? Tragicomic cabaret? 'Ironic synthpop' seems most accurate, yet at this show they were unplugged and heartbreakingly sincere.
I'd downloaded their current album with an excitement that sadly dissipated as I heard the songs, or rather, strained to hear them underneath Distortion's deliberate distortion. So when j4 bought me birthday tickets, I was grateful but trepidatious.
We needn't have worried. The show made a splendid (re)introduction to the new songs by dismantling the wall of sound. I do wish Stephin Merritt, adored for lyrics which are pretty and witty and gay, would give up burying them in the mix (as on everything he recorded before 69 Love Songs) or smothering them in fuzz. He's surely neither tongue-tied nor bashful.
Cadogan Hall is a converted church near Sloane Square, grand, white and airy. The band made an understated entrance, taking some time to settle down; Claudia invited people standing to claim empty seats in the front row, which they did, slowly. Looking over the side from our pew, Stephin was out of sight. He was also out of sorts and out of patience, the band having only just been reunited with instruments mislaid in transit on the penultimate night of the tour. Nonetheless, as Stephin, Claudia and Shirley sang each other's songs promiscuously, his singing voice was still lugubriously expressive.
It was an eclectic set with songs from the last three Magnetic Fields albums, both 6ths discs, even the obscure soundtracks (though nothing from the Future Bible Heroes). In alphabetical order, reconstructed from memory:
All Dressed Up In Dreams / As You Turn To Go / The Book Of Love / California Girls / Courtesans / Crows / Dreams Anymore / Drive On, Driver / Give Me Back My Dreams / Grand Canyon / I Looked All Over Town / I Wish I Had An Evil Twin / If You Don't Cry / It's Only Time / No One Will Ever Love You / The Nun's Litany / Old Fools / Papa Was A Rodeo / Take Ecstasy With Me / This Little Ukelele / Three-Way / Too Drunk To Dream / Walking My Gargoyle / What A Fucking Lovely Day! / When I'm Out of Town / Yeah! Oh Yeah! / Zombie Boy.
Four songs about dreams! Lost dreams, of course. j4 held my hand in defiance through every song of sad regret. Then they had to play 'It's Only Time'. And 'Grand Canyon', and 'As You Turn To Go'. And there was something in my eye, damn it.