Pitchfork

What an amazing coincidence. Okay, maybe it's not quite amazing, but it's still a coincidence. I've been a bit behind the times and finally got around to falling in love the Magnetic Fields' 1994 release, Charm of the Highway Strip. While I just happened to be on this new Stephin Merritt kick-- without asking, even-- a copy of the brand new Future Bible Heroes disc finds its way to my mailbox. Gotta love that.

The thing about the Magnetic Fields that some folks dislike is that it's such a damn tinny thing. Every freakin' song is like a tin machine. It's like you're hearing it through a Coke can. Not so with the Bible Heroes. It's about as hi-fi as you'd want it to be. I mean, don't expect a guest appearance from Geddy Lee or anything, but it sounds good.

Merritt and Co. are the only folks I think I've ever heard that can create a perfect pop song with just keyboards, sequencers and samplers. And Memories of Love is one of the few MIDI-dominated records you'll ever hear that's easy to love. Plus, the liner notes (comprised entirely of tricky puzzles and word games) help to make it the essential road trip album.