Odalisque Au Naturel

The Magnetic Fields “The Nun’s Litany” – True to its name, the new Magnetic Fields record is full of distortion, but it rocks about as much as anything the group has released in the past ten years — a little bit, but not a lot. Stephin Merritt’s songs remain tight, small, and mannered, and the application of severe effects on the backing tracks (never the vocals) highlights the deliberately minor scale. It’s meant to sound a bit cheap and tossed-off, like a band of amateurs attempting to obscure their lack of chops with loads of feedback, or a bunch of kids turning up at Joe Meek’s studio to turn out a quick, reverb-soaked single. Many of the tunes play off the noise for cheap irony, but as per usual for Merritt, the easy gags dovetail into more complicated jokes and thematic motifs.

Merritt’s humor is distant and droll, but it’s never lacking in humanity, even when the laughs are at the expense of his characters. “The Nun’s Litany” manages a very delicate balance — the lyrics and seemingly earnest vocals by Claudia Gonson set up a pointed joke about the way a generation of girls seem overly eager to find validation in objectifying themselves (especially for financial gain), but the song is sensitive and fair enough to let us in on the character’s insecurities and rationale. By the end of the piece, you’re not so bothered by her immodest desire to enter the sex trade — this is not the work of a prudish mind — but you might be disappointed by the modesty of her ambitions. (Ha, it might not be a total coincidence that the cover of Distortion has the same color scheme as Ariel Levy‘s Female Chauvanist Pigs.) (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Elsewhere: R.I.P., Olga Sarantos.