Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields

"FANS WILL DROOL AT THE ACCESS... AND SURE TO TURN ON NEW LISTENERS." - Variety
"EXQUISITE AND WELL-BALANCED." - KEXP
"INTIMATE AND REVEALING" - Toronto Now

With his unique gift for memorable melodies, lovelorn lyrics and wry musical stylings that blend classic Tin Pan Alley with modern sounds, Stephin Merritt has distinguished himself as one of contemporary pop’s most beloved and influential artists. Both a prolific recording artist and composer of theater and film scores, he performs most famously as the Magnetic Fields, whose 1999 three-disc opus 69 Love Songs is widely considered a masterpiece of traditional songcraft and irresistible synthpop.

Ten years in the making, Strange Powers explores Merritt’s songwriting and recording process, and focuses on his relationships with his bandmates and longtime manager Claudia Gonson, revealing an artist who has produced one of the most engaging and confounding bodies of work in the contemporary American songbook.

“An artfully rendered spin on the familiar...Strange Powers doesn't necessarily take the kinds of risks that Merritt does, whether in his art, in his career or on his bike. But even with the narrative stacked in his favor, Merritt is no less fascinating a figure — and a few stars in its eyes doesn't make this look at his life and his work any less engaging.” (Ian Buckwalter, NPR)