Future Bible Heroes is one of the many side projects of Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields and is a collaboration with bandmate Claudia Gonson and longtime friend, keyboardist Christopher Ewen. After an 11 year absence, they have released a new album, Partygoing.
Bubbling under Merritt’s usual darkly humorous lyrics are Ewen’s playful, layered synths, reminiscent of Vince Clarke-era Depeche Mode. Gonson shares vocal duties with Merritt and really gets to shine on the torchy “A Drink Is Just the Thing.” If the record has a theme, it is defined by the track, “Living, Loving, Partygoing”, a quirky pop confection that details some of the more memorable parties that our world-weary heroes have experienced.
Future Bible Heroes – Living, Loving, Partygoing from stereogum on Vimeo.
The songs on Partygoing are mostly bittersweet and swing between dark comedy and sunny tragedy. The album is available on its own or as part of a remastered collection of the band’s entire back catalogue, called Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing; available on Merge Records.