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Obscurities

Stephin Merritt

Obscurities

Collection of rarities and unreleased tracks from the indie pop singer-songwriter and Magnetic Fields mainman

ADM rating[?]

7.0

Label
Domino
UK Release date
05/09/2011
US Release date
23/08/2011
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  1. 8.0 |   Blurt

    These Merritt wonder-tonics may not curl your hair or cure any ailment, but they act as a salve to a multitude of human conditions
    Read Review

  2. 8.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    The Great American Songbook holds a ghostly hand over his work, but there is also a sense of Roy Orbison at his shoulder, guiding him to shore
    Read Review

  3. 8.0 |   Uncut

    It coheres remarkably well. Print edition only

  4. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    Few songwriters could hope to pen a magnum opus as interesting as this
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  5. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Nothing on here would not have been suitable for primetime on any of Merritt’s pre-96 Love Songs albums
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  6. 7.5 |   Pitchfork

    It's understated, personal, insular, oddball, and often gorgeous, an unexpectedly coherent collection from an important band
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  7. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    Rarities compilations are often perfunctory at best, but this is a refreshingly diverse release from a laser-focused songwriter
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  8. 7.1 |   Paste Magazine

    Includes tracks from various Merritt side projects The 6ths, Buffalo Rome and The Gothic Archies, making it a pretty essential release for anyone who considers themselves a MagFields/Merritt fanatic
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  9. 7.0 |   No Ripcord

    It's a better starting point for new listeners than most of Merritt's post-69 Love Songs output
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  10. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    For completists Obscurities is a must. For Magnetic Fields fans it's a worthwhile starting point for Stephin Merritt's other projects. For newcomers, start with 69 Love Songs and come back when you've fallen in love with everything else
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  11. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    While many of the cuts on Obscurities are pretty deep ones that won’t ultimately expose Merritt to a new audience or rewrite the book on his career, the album does capture a time when he had a Midas touch for making songs that were as catchy as they were provocative
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  12. 7.0 |   Spin

    Perfect for Magnetic Fields fans let down by 2010's concept-heavy Realism
    Read Review

  13. 7.0 |   NME

    Essential for completists. Print edition only

  14. 6.5 |   Prefix

    It's got some purely great pop songs on it, enough that in spots it rises out of that fan-only ghetto, even if other moments find it falling back in
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  15. 6.0 |   Uncut

    Print edition only

  16. 6.0 |   The Independent

    Even at less than full power, Merritt still wields the kind of wry wit that can cut to an unexpected depth, emotionally
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  17. 6.0 |   musicOMH

    The collection as a whole is a little scattershot and confusing for the ear
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  18. 6.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    While it is easy to see why some of the tracks here have remained in the sidelines until now, there is still plenty to appreciate on Obscurities
    Read Review

  19. Back to main chart

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Stephin Merritt: Obscurities

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Forever And A Day £0.89
  • 2. Rats In The Garbage Of The Western World £0.89
  • 3. I Don't Believe You £0.89
  • 4. Plant White Roses £0.89
  • 5. Rot In The Sun £0.89
  • 6. The Sun And The Sea And The Sky £0.89
  • 7. Yet Another Girl £0.89
  • 8. Scream (Till You Make The Scene) £0.89
  • 9. The Song From Venus £0.89
  • 10. Beach-A-Boop-Boop £0.89
  • 11. When I'm Not Looking, You're Not There £0.89
  • 12. Take Ecstasy With Me £0.89
  • 13. When You're Young And In Love £0.89
  • 14. You Are Not My Mother And I Want To Go Home £0.89
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