Led by the much-lauded Stephin Merritt (who is gay), the band returns to their synth roots to offer their best recording since 1999’s 69 Love Songs. Standouts include the wry “God Wants Us to Wait” and “I’ve Run Away to Join the Fairies.” Listen quickly, though: this intricate tableau offers mini-musical bites: none of the selections here reach three minutes in length. Merge Records (mergerecords.com). —Nancy Ford
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