Future Bible Heroes
I'm Lonely (and I Love it)
(Merge)
Stephin Merritt is a professional songwriting machine, but he's nowhere near
as horrible as that label suggests. He is, in fact, the anti-Diane Warren, serving up catchy and
lyrically varied love songs with his four bands (the Magnetic Fields, the 6ths, Future Bible
Heroes, the Gothic Archies). His albums and EPs were always inconsistent but worthy, which is
why it was such a shock that last year's 69 Love Songs, recorded as the Magnetic Fields,
was damn near flawless. There's an old song called "What Can You Say in a Love Song That's Never
Been Said Before," but Merritt cobbled together 69 utterly unique tunes about true love,
unrequited love, obsessive love, new love, old love, punk love, etc.
So it's probably not going to shock anyone that the guy can pull off an EP of 5 love songs splendidly, which he does on this Future Bible Heroes disc. The only difference between the Fields and the Heroes is that here Merritt writes the tunes and lyrics and kindred spirit Chris Ewen provides the musical backdrop, which is always early 80's synth-pop cheese. Each of these tunes is a keeper, especially "Good Thing I Don't Have Any Feelings," which features Merritt's sexiest vocals to date, and the title track, which expands 69 Love Songs' "I Don't Want to Get Over You" to its fullest sardonic potential. The best part of these songs is Chris Ewen's ravishing electropop arrangements, filled with beauty rarely coaxed from mere machine, and a wistful, wish-we-were-there nostalgic sigh. Merritt put it best in a radio interview conducted last Valentine's Day: "Oh, to be British in 1981."
For what it's worth, I'll take the Future Bible Heroes over the Human League any day.
Rating: 8
Matt Ozga
See also Magnetic Fields.
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