Wasps' Nests is the 1995 debut album by the 6ths, a side-project created by Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields.[1] Merritt wrote and recorded the album, inviting different vocalists to sing lead. Like the band's name, the album title is a tongue-twister.
| Wasps' Nests | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Recorded | Let's Rain Studios | |||
| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 45:17 | |||
| Label | Factory Too FACD-2.06 | |||
| Producer | Stephin Merritt | |||
| The 6ths chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Yet Another Girl" originally only appeared on the vinyl release of the album, but was later included on Merritt's 2011 compilation Obscurities.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Chicago Tribune | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[4] |
| The Guardian |  [5] |
| NME | 6/10[6] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
| Spin | 8/10[10] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[11] |
The Record wrote that Merritt "is well-suited to the Phil Spector-esque role of songwriter and producer, and his singleminded songwriting is well-served by the album's eclectic personnel; on the whole, Wasps' Nests is a delight."[12]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Stephin Merritt[13]
| No. | Title | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "San Diego Zoo" | Barbara Manning | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Aging Spinsters" | Stephin Merritt | 2:20 |
| 3. | "All Dressed Up in Dreams" | Mary Timony | 2:55 |
| 4. | "Falling Out of Love (With You)" | Dean Wareham | 2:55 |
| 5. | "Winter in July" | Ayako Akashiba | 2:32 |
| 6. | "Pillow Fight" | Mitch Easter | 2:34 |
| 7. | "Dream Hat" | Mac McCaughan | 2:27 |
| 8. | "Movies in My Head" | Georgia Hubley | 4:19 |
| 9. | "In the City in the Rain" | Lou Barlow | 3:43 |
| 10. | "Looking for Love (In the Hall of Mirrors)" | Amelia Fletcher | 2:43 |
| 11. | "Heaven in a Black Leather Jacket" | Robert Scott | 2:46 |
| 12. | "Here in My Heart" | Anna Domino | 3:30 |
| 13. | "Puerto Rico Way" | Mark Robinson | 3:28 |
| 14. | "You Can't Break a Broken Heart" | Jeffrey Underhill | 3:16 |
| 15. | "When I'm Out of Town" | Chris Knox | 2:34 |
| 16. | "Yet Another Girl" | Stuart Moxham | 3:30 |
Notes
edit- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (Apr 18, 1995). "Sixth heaven". The Advocate. No. 679. p. 62.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Wasps' Nests – The 6ths". AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ Kot, Greg (May 11, 1995). "Precious Pain". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Huston, Johnny (April 7, 1995). "Wasps' Nests". Entertainment Weekly. p. 92. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (July 14, 1995). "The 6ths: Wasps' Nests (Factory Too)". The Guardian.
- ^ "The 6ths: Wasps' Nests". NME. September 16, 1995. p. 50.
- ^ Ham, Robert (November 18, 2017). "The 6ths: Wasps' Nests". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ^ Manning, Kara (June 15, 1995). "Wasps' Nests: The 6ths". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ Randall, Mac (2004). "The Magnetic Fields". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 509–10. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Kreilkamp, Ivan (May 1995). "The 6ths: Wasps' Nests". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 2. p. 98. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ Hunter, James (1995). "Magnetic Fields". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 237–38. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Weiler, Derek (4 May 1995). "Collaborative effort works well for Merritt". The Record. p. D15.
- ^ "Wasps' Nests". houseoftomorrow.com. The Magnetic Fields. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.