The Stranger

There’s no unifying album concept or gimmick involved in the Magnetic Fields’ newly released Love at the Bottom of the Sea, just a return to the catchy, synthesized electropop tracks that made 69 Love Songs a towering success. Clever songs like “God Wants Us to Wait” and “Andrew in Drag” (A pity she does not exist/A shame he’s not a fag/The only girl I ever loved was Andrew in drag) will make you spontaneously shit envy for songwriter Stephin Merritt’s wit, and watching Merritt’s clubfooted banter with bandmates and adoring fans (he hates performing live; “I don’t see the point,” he told me recently) is a pleasantly engrossing performance in and of itself. (Neptune Theatre, 1303 NE 45th St, www.stgpresents.org, 8 pm, $30 adv/$32 DOS, all ages) by Cienna Madrid

Link  |  Post Comment (3)