New Magnetic Fields song, "Three Way"

Thanks, Stereogum.

Album's out January 15. This song sounds very, very much like early Jesus and Mary Chain or OMD, the latter being a seminal electronic group from England. (The most obvious modern influence on the song, interestingly enough, is the Raveonettes.)

Largely instrumental, "Way" finds Merritt relying on instrumentation -- rather than his storytelling or his dour voice -- to carry the song. Funnily enough, it works, as layers of echoing, spacey keyboards and a reverb-cushioned drum machine -- pounding out super danceable beats with plenty of Krautrock drone -- build and overlap.

Oh, and the only lyric is a shouted "Three way!" -- first sung by a male voice, then a female voice, then trailing off at the end while being sung by a chorus.

Can't wait to hear the album (which is called Distortion)! And I haven't said that about any Magnetic Fields record in years.

-- Annie Zaleski