For MEL, I wanted to write about 50 Song Memoir, the superb new album from the Magnetic Fields. I started thinking about how Magnetic Fields leader Stephin Merritt inadvertently joined a recent trend of indie artists who are writing about themselves in intensely personal ways. Merritt, who abhors autobiographical lyrics, decided to write a song per year of his life for 50 Song Memoir -- and to draw from his real-life experiences for once. Along the way, he has created a new way of thinking about "personal" songs. You can read my piece here.
