Magnetic Fields: John Woo (sitar); Sam Davol, Claudia Gonson.

Personnel: John Woo (guitar, banjo, electric sitar); Sam Davol (cello); Claudia Gonson (piano, harpsichord, drums, percussion, background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Charles Newman.

Editor: Vincent Giangola.

Unknown Contributor Role: Stephin Merritt.

Arranger: Claudia Gonson.

Five years after the lauded triple-album 69 LOVE SONGS, Stephin Merritt once again dons his Magnetic Fields hat for I, his second release on Warner's Nonesuch imprint (his first being the PIECES OF April soundtrack, released under his own name). Like LOVE SONGS, I has a consistent theme--in this case, each song begins with the letter "I" and features lead vocals by Merritt (who's known for farming out singing chores). This narrative, confessional setting allows Merritt to present some of his most intimate and wry compositions, such as the string-laden "I Don't Believe You," the piano-driven "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend," and the Victorian "In an Operetta." Although I largely sticks to its predecessor's romantic lyrical focus, its sound is notably different, particularly in its lack of synthesizers. By utilizing mostly acoustic instruments and leaving behind the cold sheen of electronics, Merritt makes his remarkable songwriting skills that much more apparent, resulting in one of the finest albums of his prolific career.