An album for indie nostalgics, Johnny Marr’s first proper solo album “The Messenger” delivers a sound reminiscent of the past, but it’s all alright. Marr’s musical offspring deserves to be auditioned with sweet indulgence that fans of glorious past eras will understand and not with the critical eye of all new shabby chic indie aficionados.
“The Messenger” is wholly interlaced with the clinking of chords that can only scream “The Smiths”, but as a whole it is an exploration of Marr’s musical collaborations and experiences throughout the years. With groovy bass lines that would revel on a Modest Mouse album and garage inspired licks that The Cribs would be coining as their own, Marr takes the reins on this album and gets involved with everything from the lyrics to pre and post production.
According to the former Smiths guitarist, “The Messenger” is the story of his experiences while living in Britain, it’s about the “beauty, energy and stories”. While some may still be biased in the Morrissey-Marr conundrum, it is a fact that the guitarist’s lyrical panache comes nowhere near his creative guitar strumming. While the verse-chorus-verse wording does nothing for the album, the shimmying signature guitar licks and melodical harmonies do just what is intended- and that is an album that sounds exactly like a Johnny Marr album.
“New Town Velocity” swivels off with an acoustic intro, only to go into Marr’s simple train of thought. There’s nothing new here, but it’s never been heard before- at least not in this exact sequence. “European Me” would not be out of place on a mid-Smiths era album, but that doesn’t matter either. It’s seductive through it’s simple jangly guitar spasms and a mellow voice that soothes an aching need for a new “old”.
“The Messenger” is nothing new, it’s something old wrapped in the tinsel of our slim fitting, high-rise denim era. There’s a potential here that could have only been reached with a strong vocalist that had the skills to transform the lyrical lividity into something that matches the instrumental prowess. It’s a good effort and a listen which many will smile fondly upon, but it will not reach the ears of future generations, because put simply Johnny Marr is a fighter, he persists, but he doesn’t always win.
But The Man Was The Whale 