I’m always apprehensive about recommending The Magnetic Fields to anyone. Don’t get me wrong. I think 69 Love Songs is a modern masterpiece. But it is also more than a little bit of a “WTF?” experience. It’s quirky. It’s long. It’s rambling. It’s low-fi. It’s brilliant. It’s daunting.
This Friday, the new album, 50 Song Memoir, comes out. In concept (the title explains it all), it’s as audacious as anything the band has done before. And if you’re new to The Magnetic Fields, this may be as challenging an introduction as any. I get it. I really do. But you know, you really should check this out!
NPR Music is actually making it easy. Starting today and continuing through Friday, they’re offering a first listen of ten songs a day from the new album. Right now, you can listen to what amounts to the first ten years of the memoir: 1966-1975. If you’re already a fan, or have listened to at least some of 69 Love Songs, you know exactly what to expect.
Check out the NPR first listen of those first songs below. To pre-order the album, click here.
