Customer Reviews

I'm Lonely & I Love It

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Perusing some of the other reviews of this EP, I wonder if the other reviewers are even aware that FBH came out with a brilliant full length LP, "Memories of Love," in 1997. Additionally, I feel other have been unduly harsh on this EP release. "Memories" was one of a scant few recordings that almost instantly entered my top ten of all time after hearing it. I've called it a "perfect album": adventurous synth pop with incredible lyrics and fitting vocals (Stephin Merritt's mellow...baritone and Claudia Gonson's breathy alto trappings). It's no wonder then that as soon as this EP was released I had to have it. I see it as merely a teaser for great things to come from FBH; almost like a promo more than a proper EP release. It took me a bit to get used to the subtly different approach from "Memories" (a bit more dancy), but I ended up loving it all the same. The title track is a breezy synth pop tour de force - a perfect break up song. "My Blue Hawaii" grated on me at first, but after a bit I found I couldn't get it out of my head. The lyrics may be trite, but it's camp fun (and sounds exactly what you'd imagine a synth pop song about Hawaii to sound like). "Cafe Hong Kong" just knocked me right out. A slow, swaggering piece of night time alleyway synth jazz, anchored by Gonson's desperate, gentle cherubic vocals. "Good Thing I Don't Have Any Feelings" sounds as if it could have been an outtake from the "Memories" LP, thereby making it my favorite track. A concise three-minute synth pop nugget, again returning to the theme of breakups (Stephin seems to be at his best when using "brevity" as his watchword). The "Hopeless (remix)" marks the *third* occasion the song has been released by the group, so they're obviously fond of it, but it does little to improve on the already fabulous "Memories" LP version. If you're a Merritt addict, this is definitely a required purchase (aren't they all?). If my review has piqued your interest, I'd suggest starting with the LP "Memories Of Love," or perhaps delving into Stephin's amazing main musical vehicle, The Magnetic Fields ("Get Lost" makes an excellent starting point).

Stephen Merritt, mastermind behind The Magnetic Fields, Gothic Archies, the 6ths, and Future Bible Heroes, is certainly prolific. Consistent, too, as the 69 Love Songs box set will attest. Due to the heft of 69 Love Songs, it comes as no surprise that FBH's I'm Lonely (And I Love It) EP feels tossed off. Could it also be the retro-80s cast of these 5 tunes? The title track and "Hopeless (Remix)" are gay bar phenomenons that've already happened; "Good Thing I Don't Have Any Feelings" sounds like Pet Shop Boys fronted by Leonard Cohen; "Café Hong Kong" an OMD construct featuring Anna Domino. Only "My Blue Hawaii" has the fresh perspective that makes Merritt's 80's tributes take flight. After the long haul of 69 Love Songs, Merritt probably needed the respite of this mini-LP. Whether or not you need it is up to you.

One would think Stephen Merritt would be too exhausted to punch out a melody on his Yamaha after last year's expansive and moody cabaret epic, 69 Love Songs, yet here are 5 more for the inevitable future box set.

This project expands on Mr. Merritt's love affair with new wave music and all things ABBA, and the production is so well-done compared to the Memories of Love LP. Drum machines boom over layer after catchy layer of synthetic melodies, while Stephen drones about lost love, Martin Denny, and (of course) the moon.

Don't get me wrong, this is by no means brilliant, but it will satisfy the average Merritt fan, and wet your appetite for the long awaited 6ths album (to be honest I might be the only one waiting, but don't let my obsessive compulsive disorder deter you).

Although the production and intention is excellent - Giorgio Moroder meets Leonard Cohen - this isn't really satisfying stuff. Stephen Merritt's aesthetic is admirable but suffers from an over-emphatic delivery ("I'm an artist, dammit! And I will realise my vision!"), resulting in beautifully melodious and incisive songs that ultimately become unbearable because of his foghorn voice. Please, Stephin, give a really good singer a chance!