jess pinkham

May 21, 2021: Is there a word for the surge that comes when you realize someone you adore, who is a frantic self-curator and prizes themself of being different, came up on the same tunes? Stephin Merritt probably not only knows it, but has strummed a ukelele to it. Gently singing along to the Magnetic Fields' "69 Love Songs" with one of my all-time favorite people, and the sense of connection that it brought, may well have been the highlight of my month. The Fields frontman deserved to hear about it. (Photo by Marcelo Krasilcic)