Friday, August 19, 2011

Stephin Merritt

Add Date: August 23 

Artist: Stephin Merritt 

Album: Obscurities 

Label: Merge 

Genre: Indie pop 

Comments: This aptly-named compilation of rare and previously unreleased songs from Stephin Merritt covers a great deal of territory from the early part of his career--his time on Merge from 1994-99, and even a few years before then. Beyond tunes from The Magnetic Fields, there are selections from The 6ths and The Gothic Archies, solo singles, and even tracks from "an unfinished science fiction musical" called The Song from Venus.

If you're versed in The Magnetic Fields, you won't be surprised to hear Merritt's baritone joined by a wide range of guest vocalists, and you also won't be taken aback by the quality and diversity of the tunes. Though the songs may cover a wider range of sonic territory than any particular Merritt-curated studio record, Obscurities doesn't sound drastically different from what you've come to expect from one of the finest indie pop artists around. Spin tracks 1, 3, 6 and 8.

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