Stephin Merritt: Obscurities

Stephin Merritt
Obscurities
Merge Records [2011]









Fire Note Says: Obscurities peels back a layer and finds Stephin Merritt more relaxed than ever.

Album Review:
Considered one of the great indie singer songwriters, Stephin Merritt has enthralled critics and fans alike with some of his Magnetic Fields work, so it should be no surprise that he has a trunk full of songs just waiting to see the light of day. Obscurities starts the treasure hunt, as it is a collection of Merritt’s hard-to-find recordings dating back to his time on Merge (1994–1999) and prior. The record has five previously unreleased songs, three of which are from The Song From Venus (the unfinished science fiction musical written by Merritt and Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket), four songs from The Magnetic Fields Merge-era 7 inches, two from Merritt's guest vocals with The 6ths, one from a Merge compilation, one from an audio book and a track from a K Records cassette only release. For fans, Obscurities is a must, as it helps close the loop on Merritt's material they probably don't have but even for the casual listerner, this record gives insight into Merritt's mind, as these tracks are much more loose compared to his completly focused albums. I do question Obscurities replay value, although a song like “The Sun And The Sea And The Sky”, that was intended for 69 Love Songs [1999], is from Merritt's strongest songwriting point while the upbeat "Yet Another Girl" is memorable. At the end of the day, this album wouldn't be titled Obscurities if it was not a little rough around some of its edges but overall it is a solid and interesting listen that is well worth taking the time to spin.

Key Tracks: "I Don't Believe You (7" Version)", "Yet Another Girl", “The Sun And The Sea And The Sky”

Bands With Similar Fire:
Richard Butler
Jarvis Cocker
David Byrne

The Magnetic Fields: Realism [Fire Note Review 1/28/10]
The Magnetic Fields: Distortion [Fire Note Review 1/25/08]

Stephin Merritt Website
Stephin Merritt Facebook
Merge Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony