Built around the nonpareil songwriting of Stephin Merritt, the Magnetic Fields became one of the most important and representative groups of the indie rock genre. Marked by a flare for tender melodies, acerbically witty lyrics, and uncluttered arrangements, the band evolved from the stripped-down synth pop of their early albums into more organic readings of Merritt's intelligent songcraft. Prolific to the point of spilling over into several side projects, he maintained a remarkable level of quality with the Magnetic Fields, even as they began exploring ambitious conceptual releases like 1999's three-volume collection 69 Love Songs or 2020's Quickies, a collection of 28 short songs, some of which clocked in at less than 30 seconds long.