I'm pretty disappointed with the new Magnetic Fields album (the four songs I'd consider truly worthwhile are "I Don't Believe You," "I Don't Really Love You Anymore," "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" and "It's Only Time" - and only the last one sounds like something more than a strong 69 Love Songs outtake), but I still have a lot of respect for Stephin Merritt after reading this Salon interview. It's a classic example of a highly intelligent and idiosyncratic person giving smart, challenging and honest responses to weak, uninsightful sentiments expressed by a bowled-over reporter. Merritt seems to me like he would be a glorious guy to interview; someone who avoids cliche and rehearsed expressions, someone who's actually going to make you see things in a different way. It's a shame people who try to have genuine, enriching conversations and have little time for anything else are dismissed as "difficult" or "testy."