title: I (The Magnetic Fields album)
text: i is the seventh studio album by American indie pop band The Magnetic Fields. It was released on May 4, 2004, by record label Nonesuch. The songs of the album all start with the letter "i" and are all sung by Stephin Merritt. The songs are also in alphabetical order.
  
  Musical style 
  
  The album ditches many of Stephin Merritt's past synthpop and electropop influences, largely being led by guitars and strings. It was followed in 2008, by Distortion, and in 2010, by Realism, which were both also free of synthesizer instrumentation, forming the so-called "no-synth trilogy".
  
  Album cover 
  
  The cover art, designed by Evan Gaffney, is based on Gravity in Four Directions by Fred Tomaselli.
  
  Reception 
  
  i has been well received by critics. It currently holds a score of 79/100 on review aggregator website Metacritic.  A track-by-track tribute to the album, entitled ¡AYE!, was released by Jackson & the Wargonauts in 2014.
  
  Track listing
  
  Personnel 
  
   The Magnetic Fields
  
   Stephin Merritt – vocals, instrumentation, production
   Claudia Gonson – drums and percussion, piano, harpsichord, background vocals, arrangement on "In an Operetta"
   Sam Davol – cello
   John Woo – banjo, guitar, electric sitar
  
   Technical
  
   Charles Newman – recording
   Ravi Krishnaswami – recording
   Charles Newman – additional production, mixing
   Jeff Lipton – mastering
   Vincent Giangola – additional editing on "I Don't Believe You"
   David Merrill – recording on "In an Operetta"
  
  References
  
  External links 
  
   
  
  2004 albums
  The Magnetic Fields albums
  Concept albums
  Nonesuch Records albums