Rating: 8.6/10
Modern Music Review
Indie Pop, Lo-Fi
Songs From A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The first album for the latest "band" from Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt (he's pretty much solo here) is intended as a companion to Lemony Snicket's series of books.

One of the best way to have experience in life is hearing the stories which we can find in books, music, movies or they are told by someone else. In this novelty project, you can find contribution some songs to the widely popular series' audio books. Merritt's satiated dramatic voice controls the whole album as a big snow mass which is same to the earth. It starts to numb you by the opening accordion included track "Scream And Run Away" (From The Bad Beginning), truly a tempting opening.

"Dreary, Dreary" is quite funereal song that it makes you feel that you've returned a friend's burial recently, so depressing but funeral. Lyrics mostly touchs on weird and interesting themes. Think of yourself singing 'it gets dark around here, earlier because of all the crow what they want and where they come from noone knows', and then 'there are crows, crows everywhere when i think of you'. It's for sure, Merritt's prodigious compositions stands out amazingly, moreover we should learn more of him! How he puts such lyrics 'Smile! No One Cares How You Feel' in that the most depressive style? Following that "Freakshow" which is a carnival song with lot of fun, if you're capable to get. You won't surprise to his clever tunes if you know that his interest in music began to take on a physical form at the age of 14 with a cheap synthesizer and an old four-track recorder.

Despite all good melodies, some songs exhausts you in some stagnant ways (This Abyss, How Do You Slow This Thing Down?, A Million Mushrooms). But then "Things Are Not What They Appear" is the oddest melody which is a well-founded reason to seek for a coffee cup near to end of album, recalling Leonard Cohen's enormously mellow songs, Divine Comedy's unforgetable love song "A Woman of the World".

Drink!, to your love, smile!, to the world, remembering that they are the gothic archies.
Similar Artists: Divine Comedy, Magnetic Fields
MM picks: Scream And Run Away, Crows, Things Are Not What They Appear
Mp3: Things Are Not What They Appear