Waxing lyrical on life and death

The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt is back on form with new album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea, says Ed Power

STEPHIN Merritt is singing the chorus to the 1978 disco smash Boogie Oogie Oogie. “Get on up on the floor,” he dead-pans in baritone. “We’re gonna boogie oogie oogie, ’til you just can’t boogie no more.”

The Magnetic Fields frontman is making a point about pop lyrics. He enjoys silly wordplay delivered with a wink.