The Magnetic Fields Find Love At The Bottom Of The Sea

What more really needs to be said about Magnetic Fields that hasn't already been said? Stephin Merritt is easily one of the most prolific songwriters of the last twenty years and really should be considered a national treasure. His songs of love gone wrong, yearning. wit, and slyness are nearly legendary and his discography is there to prove it. It's really no different on the Magnetic Fields latest, Love At The Bottom of the Sea.

Love At The Bottom of the Sea is a beautiful indie pop record that oozes with sweetness, humor, tweeness, and a sense of innocence. It's a whimsical record that tinkers along at it's own pace with a multitude of vocalists, including Merritt, sighing, skipping, and singing their way across the songs here. Its indie pop gold that has got that plinky plonky lo-fi synthpop sound that's so Magnetic Fields that it should probably be trademarked. Put it this way, Love At The Bottom of the Sea is the sort of thing that you know is a Magnetic Fields record before you even know it's a Magnetic Fields record. It's got everything you'd expect from a Stephin Merritt record and carries on the legacy of the group perfectly. In fact, it's really easy to say that Love At The Bottom of the Sea is perfect. Every song is hooky, quirky, and so good the songs sparkle with a lo-fi din that stands out like a sore thumb. Its synth pop made with love (and toys) and it's amazing.

The Magnetic Fields have been around longer that some of you have been alive and they've been charmed by the highway, taken a holiday, written 69 love songs, and now found love at the bottom of the sea and that makes total sense. Love At The Bottom of the Sea is brilliant, bright, poppy, lovelorn, funny, and the kind of record that you want to listen to repeatedly for days on end. Love At The Bottom of the Sea is subtle but sharp and quirky but cool and that's exactly what you expect the Magnetic Fields and you get it by the truckloads here. This is easily one of our Top 25 Records of 2012.