Words With: Stephin Merritt

Stephin Merritt, 40-something baritone-voiced frontman and lyricist of the Magnetic Fields, the 6ths, Future Bible Heroes and more recently, the Gothic Archies, is in the UK to promote his latest release 'Showtunes' - a ukelele-laden compilation of compositions he's penned for a trio of Chinese operas directed by Chen Shi Zheng. In a set up like a Hollywood media junket, journalists wait their turn for a half hour slot with Merritt, somewhat of a gay icon in New York's bohemia and the man behind the Magnetic Fields' classic 3-cd release, '69 Love Songs'. The luxurious grandeur of London's Langham Hotel suits Merritt, today dressed in army green and an Alan Alda M*A*S*H cap, Marlboros wafting overhead and his ukelele on display in case a tune pops into his head.

As intriguing, emotive and amusing as Merritt's lyrics prove him to be, his reputation for pondering every question asked with deep contemplation is concerning for an interviewer - so it's no wonder that when Gigwise meets him, interview slots have run over their allotted times and Merritt's suffering from "allergies" (quite possibly what we'd describe as "a hangover"). Psychedelic pop pickers The evening before he'd played a guest DJ session at Hoxton's George and Dragon pub, where he regaled the punters with a selection of 60s psychedelia and early 70s "bubblegum pop." But what recent bands have fallen under his critical radar? He eventually reveals "I like a band from Toronto called The Organ, and I'm fond of Annie. I also like Seu Jorge," - the Portuguese crooner who released an album of David Bowie covers to accompany the soundtrack to Wes Andersen's tremendous 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'.

He isn't always so complementary. Not often far away from a controversial opinion (albeit persuasively argued), Merritt's previously claimed that guitar-based rock music is "a dead language, like Latin" - which explains his fondness for the synth pop of much of Future Bible Heroes' output and the lashings of mandolin and ukelele in most of his musical output. Similarly, today he "can't understand how hip-hop has retained its popularity, it's so boring!" while the blues, which shares a similar narrative style, languishes in relative modern obsolescence. Possessing a cheeky lyrical dexterity akin to Morrissey's glib wordsmithery, projecting humour with fragility is one of Merritt's fortes, as 'Reno Dakota' from '69 Love Songs'  shows: "Reno Dakota there's not an iota of kindness in you. You know you enthrall me and yet you don't call me, it's making me blue."