The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir (Nonesuch)
Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2017
EVIDENTLY, STEPHEN Merritt is the sort of man who believes in grand musical gestures, and they work – the most extravagant thus far (69 Love Songs) remains his most notorious. How then to celebrate his 50th birthday? Buying a sports car? Taking up pottery? Not our Stephen, he'd rather write a two-and-a-half hour long suite with a song representing each of his years on the planet.
Total word count of piece: 233