You'd think that after all the musical experiments Stephin Merritt et al stuffed into their magnum opus 69 Love Songs, The Magnetic Fields would've exhausted every possible idea by now, but their latest album, Distortion (out this week!), immediately lays such suspicions to rest. The sound is exactly what you might think; thirteen tunes drenched in reverb-ified, JAMC-style distortion, which, when paired with Merritt's lovably blase baritone, often brings to mind some of Beat Happening's catchier pop numbers. Free from the thematic constraints of their previous albums, The Magnetic Fields sound like they're having the most fun they've had since their pre-Love Songs days in the 90's, and though the Fields' lyrics on Distortion may not be their cleverest (read: "Too Drunk to Dream"), they're just as dryly witty as always. Distortion might not appeal to the Fields' more cerebral fans, but its upbeat, fun-for-the-sake-of-fun sound still makes it a welcome addition to The Magnetic Fields' catalog.

Also, if you happen to be in town on either February 14 or 15, The Magnetic Fields are going to be playing at the Somerville Theatre! After all, what could possibly be more romantic than an evening with the love song laureate himself on Valentine's Day?