Johnny Marr - The Messenger (13/04/2013)
As Johnny Marr’s debut solo album, The Messenger finally allows Marr to be the master and creator of his own work. Taking the very best moments and influences from his career, Marr has created an album that reflects his experiences and influences over the years and is more than worthy of standing next to those that already hold his name.
The Messenger offers a nostalgic view of Marr’s previous works, with songs strongly reminiscent of the style of Modest Mouse, Electronic and The Cribs. Most notably are the moments of melancholy desperation that fits amongst The Smiths discography, which are amongst the strongest songs of the album
The album opener, The Right Thing Right, starts the album off on a bang, and plays as a confident and incredibly catchy track. With a heavy northern soul stomp that features an unmistakable and classic Marr guitar riff, which really explodes into the chorus, this track is an incredible start and a highlight of the album. Following on, I Want The Heartbreak features some of the strongest guitar tracks of the album but is unfortunately distracted by some of the more clichéd lyrics. The song is fast tempo with high energy and takes on a robotic tone as the lyrics speak of a man turning to the love of a machine.
Upstarts is soaked in pub-rock force with a definite edge of British punk from the basslines. Inspired by the Manchester riots, the guitar track plays as a battle cry for the rioting youths. The garage band style of the song fits with the style of The Cribs, while there are moments of the song more fitting with the current indie rock scene that plays more towards Modest Mouse’s style. The title track, The Messenger, continues the entirely British feel of the album, but lacks some of the personality of the opening tracks. The song’s strong indie rock vibe clearly comes from Marr’s time in Modest Mouse. But unfortunately doesn’t live up to the energy of their work, with a considerable lull in the second half of the song.
New Town Velocity is a definite highlight of the album with a perfect blend of simple, rather nostalgic guitars and some of the best lyrics off the album. The electro-acoustic guitar strumming and intensity of the song fits perfectly amongst Electric, while the melancholy tone of the lyrics are a clear nod to The Smiths. With the lighter instrumentation of the song, Marr’s vocals have a moment to shine with their ability to convey the suffocating emotions of the lyrics.
Despite weakness in Marr’s lyrics and vocals, The Messenger is well-crafted album that showcases the finest moments of Marr’s musical history. And as always, it is an absolute pleasure to hear Marr’s classic riffs racing through his songs.
Bethany Williams
The Messenger offers a nostalgic view of Marr’s previous works, with songs strongly reminiscent of the style of Modest Mouse, Electronic and The Cribs. Most notably are the moments of melancholy desperation that fits amongst The Smiths discography, which are amongst the strongest songs of the album
The album opener, The Right Thing Right, starts the album off on a bang, and plays as a confident and incredibly catchy track. With a heavy northern soul stomp that features an unmistakable and classic Marr guitar riff, which really explodes into the chorus, this track is an incredible start and a highlight of the album. Following on, I Want The Heartbreak features some of the strongest guitar tracks of the album but is unfortunately distracted by some of the more clichéd lyrics. The song is fast tempo with high energy and takes on a robotic tone as the lyrics speak of a man turning to the love of a machine.
Upstarts is soaked in pub-rock force with a definite edge of British punk from the basslines. Inspired by the Manchester riots, the guitar track plays as a battle cry for the rioting youths. The garage band style of the song fits with the style of The Cribs, while there are moments of the song more fitting with the current indie rock scene that plays more towards Modest Mouse’s style. The title track, The Messenger, continues the entirely British feel of the album, but lacks some of the personality of the opening tracks. The song’s strong indie rock vibe clearly comes from Marr’s time in Modest Mouse. But unfortunately doesn’t live up to the energy of their work, with a considerable lull in the second half of the song.
New Town Velocity is a definite highlight of the album with a perfect blend of simple, rather nostalgic guitars and some of the best lyrics off the album. The electro-acoustic guitar strumming and intensity of the song fits perfectly amongst Electric, while the melancholy tone of the lyrics are a clear nod to The Smiths. With the lighter instrumentation of the song, Marr’s vocals have a moment to shine with their ability to convey the suffocating emotions of the lyrics.
Despite weakness in Marr’s lyrics and vocals, The Messenger is well-crafted album that showcases the finest moments of Marr’s musical history. And as always, it is an absolute pleasure to hear Marr’s classic riffs racing through his songs.
Bethany Williams