Stephin Merritt's Soundtrack to the Film Pieces of April

Prolific musician, singer/songwriter, often time arranger and producer, and multi-band member Stephin Merritt has been making music for over a decade. He is looked upon favorably by critics but hasn't officially wooed the ears of the Top 40 public enough to get radio play.

In 2003, Merritt along with two of his other bands The Magnetic Fields and The 6ths, provided all of the material for the soundtrack to the indie film Pieces of April, starring Katie Holmes and Derek Luke. For this album, Merritt included five previously unreleased tracks-four by the Magnetic Fields and one solo track. The other five songs are from The 6ths' Hyacinths and Thistles album and the four-disc album 69 Love Songs by the Magnetic Fields. The ten song soundtrack is extremely short, totaling only 26 minutes and 40 seconds but each short tune packs a wallop.

One of the most moving songs on the album is the shortest and the only Merritt solo entitled One April Day. In this one minute 56 second tune Merritt manages to capture the entire concept of the film with the aid of only two lines of lyrics. The musical arrangement has a middle eastern feel with string plucked staccato notes and tamborine leading up to Merritt's low raspy vocal. The sincerity of this song is what distinguishes Merritt's music in general.

Like One April Day, all the other tunes on the album are love songs, some sad and some gristled with tongue-in-cheek wit. Along with One April Day, track 6 entitled I Think I Need a New Heart ties for best song on the album. This song all on its own can explain to a new listener what Merritt is about. He plays the role of the lover who cares the least in a relationship singing, "I'll never say happy anniversary, never stay to say happy anniversary, so I think I need a new heart." Merritt's sarcastic nature runs throughout this song as he sings gut-punching truths to a catchy hook and danceable music arrangement. He must have learned early on that you can get away with saying just about anything if you say it with a smile.