Search - Magnetic Fields :: Holiday

Painfully beautiful

Ryan Hennessy | Albany, NY | 11/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So here it is 1994 and Stephin Merritt has expounded on his ideas of pre-programmed love songs, so they sound better than ever, though hardly glossed over. They're just as messy, with loose ends showing everywhere. He also takes over as the sole singer of the Magnetic Fields. What happened to Susan? I have no idea. She's only on one track here. But mostly we have Stephin in all his depressed glory. He might have the most depressed lackadaisical voice in music. Whether its the fun "Swinging London" or the terribly depressing "The Flowers She Sent," he treats them all the same, but his voice always seems to get in your head. He actually shows a lot of range on "All You Ever Do Is Walk Away" where it sounds like he's yelling so much, poor Stephin's head is going to pop off!The album also has probably my favorite lyrics of all the Magnetic Fields releases. Everything Stephin Merritt comes together in the imagery of the opening lines to "The Flowers She Sent": "I saw you standing at the airport / with your chiahuahua in your hand / Crying on the moving sidewalk / on your way to Disneyland." That's not to shake a stick at the dense growling "Desert Island" where Merritt is put with his love in that very place that dreams are made of. "We'll develop muscles / from cracking coconuts / Let our clothing drop off / feel each other's butts." He has a way with turning old love song ideas on their head. For example, it's not out of the ordinary to be singing about a lover's eyes, but Merritt writes "My heart just turns to ice when I see myself reflected in your torn green velvet eyes." Although, I have to say that since in most Magnetic Fields albums not many people seem to be getting any, there seems to be a lot of happiness on this album.As usual, the music is programmed most of the time, but we hear some branching out on "Sad Little Moon" where a violin, tuba and glockenspiel provide almost all of the music. It's refreshing since its slapped between two synthpop songs. And the whole album is wrapped up with "Take Ecstacy With Me," maybe my favorite Magnetic Fields song - all time. It starts off with the the percussion of a guiro and a bass drum and there's tons of synthed flutes and guitars and such and it's all very dense and extremely addictive. This is the only song not sung by Merritt, and it's done beautifully by Susan Anway. Don't have enough money for 69 Love Songs? Then get Holiday."

Dry, morose, bittersweet pop for the discerning palate.

Alastair Thompson (alastair@sccs.sw | Pennsylvania, USA | 12/30/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mastermind Stephin Merritt has become a cult figure--and his lugubrious voice, his deadpan wit, and his sparkling arrangements make each of his bands' efforts distinctive and worthwhile. The lyrics are simple, literate, and evocative; the instrumentation lush and careful. Holiday is among Merritt's happier albums, but of course the requisite dark side lurks in every couplet. Sounds like practically nothing else except other Magnetic Fields, or Merritt's other projects: the 6ths, the Gothic Archies, and the Future Bible Heroes. "The flowers she sent / and the flowers she said she sent / are all equally dead / you don't care any more, she said / and the books she read / and the books that she said she read / are all spread on the floor / you don't get out of bed any more.""

Their Second Wonderful album....

Chris | United States | 09/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"and arguably the best of the early ones (if not the best of all of his). Holiday is a wonderful synth pop album which ranks up there with 69 Love Songs as their best. This opened my ears to alot of synth pop music.



The album starts of with the 22 second long intro, which has a sixties-meets-synth sound to it (i think) and is followed by 13 brilliant tracks. All You Ever Do Is Walk Away is one of the best vocal performance from Stephin Merritt and also ranks as one of his best songs. Other highlights are Trouble I've Been looking For and Take Ecstacy With Me.



Buy this and 69 Love Songs for the perfect grasp of the best of this band."