The Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields are essentially Stephin Merritt's project, with a rotating group of musicians like Claudia Gonson and Susan Anway joining him over time. They started putting out cassettes in the late '80s and early '90s, working with lo-fi recording techniques that gave their early material a particular character.

Merritt's songwriting is known for its wry humor and melancholy, often focusing on love and relationships. This approach is clear in songs like 'All My Little Words' and 'The Book of Love'. Their 1999 album '69 Love Songs' was a sprawling, three-disc concept piece that became a landmark release, collecting dozens of brief, sharply written vignettes.

Later albums like 'i' and 'Distortion' continued with thematic concepts, while '50 Song Memoir' in 2017 was an autobiographical project. The music itself has shifted across different styles, from synth-pop to more acoustic arrangements, but Merritt's distinctive baritone and lyrical sensibility remain the constant center.