The 6ths: Wasps' Nests

I think this must be my least favourite album written by Stephin Merritt.

Apparently Stephin told all the singers to sound bored. This was intended to be some kind of Brechtian alienation device. There's alienation, and then there's alienation. Since the instrumentation of each song is fairly similar, and, I think, largely programmed, the tracks tend to blur into each other in my ear, and the words mostly get lost.

In this interview snippet, singer Chris Knox describes his frustration when taking a song that sounded gorgeous in Stephin's sparsely produced demo version and being asked to sing it against an arrangement that obscured the beat.

There are exceptions that stand out on the album, such as Here in my Heart, sung by Anna Domino, the intro of which seems to be inspired by Abba's Take a Chance on Me.

Altogether I much prefer the songs and the singers on the 6ths' second album Hyacinths and Thistles. Apparently Stephin's manager, Claudia Gonson, drew up the list of singers for Wasps' Nests — almost all drawn from the 'indie-rock' fraternity/sorority — whereas Stephin himself chose the singers for the later album.

By the way, the band name and the album titles are all chosen to be as hard as possible to get your tongue round. It's little wonder they don't get played on the radio.

MusicBrainz entry for this album

Comments

[mym]

I agree. San Diego Zoo is the only track that ever gets played much in my house.

Looking for Love is one of his best 'anti-gay' songs.

[David]

Though the song that Chris Knox was referring to, When I'm Out of Town, sounded great when Stephin opened the Cadogan Hall shows with it, don't you think?

[mym]

They ALL sound better when Stephin sings them.