TraceyMeagher.com

I know that Neill Hannon lists The Magnetic Fields, along with Burt Bacharach and Scott Walker, as his influences but when I first listened to Stephin Merritt sing Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing, I’d have sworn on my life that it was Neil Hannon. While Neil did do some collaborations with The Magnetic Fields, it was not on this song. Does everybody with a dramatic baratone voice sound the same? And who is influencing who?

I love The Divine Comedy and I can see why the two bands might look to each other for inspiration.  I think of The Divine Comedy as very European and The Magnetic Fields as very East Coast-ish, which they are! Neil’s music is the Old World and Merrit is New World in flavour, taking itself slightly less seriously.

When I listen to the Magnetic Fields, I can’t help thinking that their music comes off as The Beach Boys meets Leonard Cohen. While there’s something refreshingly uplifting in many of the tunes, especially on 69 Love Songs, the lyrics are Tim Burton-ish … oddly and entertainingly morbid and offbeat. That’s exactly what I love about them.

Take these lyrics from the unapologetically upbeat tune of I’m The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side …

My car is ugly but then I’m ugly too. I know you’d
never give me a second glance but when the weather’s
nice, all the other guys don’t stand a chance …

I only keep this heap for you
cause I’m the ugliest guy on the Lower East Side
but I’ve got wheels and you want to go for a ride

Be sure to listen to Reno Dakota for another great example!

Neil Hannon’s lyrics tend to be more old-fashionedly tragic and upfront ironic. I do love both bands .. a lot … but if I had to choose, I’d stick with my first love … The Divine Comedy.

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