Distortion

鬼才・STEPHIN MERRITT率いるインディ･ポップバンド、MAGNETIC FILELDSのノンサッチ・レーヴェルからの3作目となるアルバム。前作『DISTORSION』から2年ぶりのリリースとなる今作は、1960年代後期～70年代初期のブリティッシュ・フォークからインスパイアされた、“ヴァラエティ・フォーク”なアルバム。

Rolling Stone (p.61) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "DISTORTION has an indelible identity. It rocks, in this case a meaningful, temporary departure. Its unmelded sonic gestalt suits its thematic disquiet." Rolling Stone (p.91) - Ranked #25 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "[E]voking old AM-radio tunes remixed by a mad genius." Spin (p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "The creeping B-movie love song 'Zombie Boy' benefits from the background noise, and 'Too Drunk to Dream' has fun twisting the Beach Boys' familiar, sunny vibe with squeals and screeches." Entertainment Weekly (p.83) - "[B]oth wintry and lush, buoyant and black-hearted....Shot through with jangling boy-girl harmonies..." -- Grade: A- Uncut (p.84) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "DISTORTION at its best is beguiling and quietly devastating." CMJ - "DISTORTION's Jesus And Mary Chain fixation adds icy muscle to Merritt's downy, sad melodies." Q (Magazine) (p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "With collaborator Shirley Simms splitting vocals with Merritt, there is plenty to enjoy..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "It's faux-naif orch-pop that crashes and thunders. Merritt being Merritt, the work also packs plenty of sardonic wit..." Blender (Magazine) (p.99) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Every instrument here distorts, giving tearjerkers like 'I'll Dream Alone' complementary grit." Harp (magazine) (p.93) - "Merritt takes on the crushingly forlorn balladry of 'Mr. Mistletoe' and the cool aching romanticism of 'Too Drunk To Dream.' Exquisite." The Word (magazine) - "The idea of enveloping everything from guitar to piano to cello in clouds of feedback and fuzz is both unexpected and remarkably convincing." Record Collector (magazine) (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Too Drunk To Dream' deploys Stephen Merritt's lugubrious-hilarious baritone to great emotive effect..." Clash (Magazine) (p.106) - "Miniature masterpieces such as 'California Girls' and 'Drive On, Driver' exhibit the type of feisty flamboyance in the face of unrequited devotion that will be instantly familiar to all followers of songwriter Stephin Merritt's beautifully crafted melancholia..."