Wrote up a quick review of this album. Tomorrow I'll have reviews for the more exciting Palma Violets and BRMC! (:
Review #03
1. The Right Thing Right
2. I Want the Heartbeat
3. European Me
4. Upstarts
5. Lockdown
6. The Messenger
7. Generate! Generate!
8. Say Demesne
9. Sun & Moon
10. The Crack Up
11. New Town Velocity
12. Words Start Attack
Background
I’ll admit I’ve never been too keen on The Smiths – although they were one of the most popular alternative rock bands of the 80s, something about their music was never able to grab my attention or keep it. They had been off my radar for a while until a friend of mine recommended that I listen to Johnny Marr’s new record. Yes, Johnny Marr – the band’s well-known guitarist and co-songwriter – released his debut solo album in February of this year. Being told that the album had a great indie rock sound I would like, I trusted my friend’s judgment and musical taste and decided to give The Messenger a fair listen. And I was surprised. Despite working with many other bands outside of The Smiths over the past two decades, I believe Marr makes a name for himself as a solo artist with this album; therefore, I’m going to review the album based on how it stands by itself, rather than making any comparisons to The Smiths, Morrissey’s solo material, or any of Marr’s work with other bands. The ultimate question I’m asking myself with this is, would I want to listen to this album again?
Music
The opening track ‘Right Thing Right’ begins with all the energy of a New Wave era rock band, complete with jangly guitar tones and lyrics that set the tone for a fresh start to the rest of the album. The next song, ‘I Want the Heartbeat’ is less memorable but follows with a similar sound and catchier chorus. But the next song is better: ‘European Me’ continues with the theme of leaving the past and travelling someplace new. Johnny Marr’s signature guitar style is ‘Upstarts,’ another midtempo rock song that seems to stand out above the rest so far as being the most upbeat and easily remembered. ‘Lockdown’ continues the album on a positive note with a soaring chorus and lyrics about driving through empty towns and open coastlines.
Next is the current single, ‘The Messenger,’ which is the obvious highlight of the album. It’s a pretty flawless indie pop-rock song, and once you hear it you’ll probably have it in your head all day. The sparkling guitar sounds and overall radio-catchiness place it a few notches above every other song and make it a worthy title-track to the album.
While the other songs seem to stand in the shadow of this single, does it make them less enjoyable? Sort of. The second half of the album is hit and miss. ‘Generate Generate’ ‘New Town Velocity,’ and ‘Sun & Moon’ are easily forgettable. ‘Say Demesne’ is a longer, slower, and more narrative. ‘The Crack Up’ picks the pace back up and could possibly be the album’s next single. And the final song, ‘Words Start Attack,’ ends the album on same energetic note with which it began.
Highlighted Tracks
Conclusion
To sum it up, this is neither a great album nor a bad album, but the bits of stories told through lyrics and the familiar guitar tones will satisfy listeners whether they are fans of Marr’s previous work or if they like current indie rock in general. The first half of the album may seem stronger than the second half; although it’s true
The Messenger has both good moments and repetitive moments, it’s worth listening to and gives a refreshing new sound to Johnny Marr’s music as a solo artist. I’d listen to it again.
6/10