The Messenger (CD)


Johnny Marr

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Also available in: LP

Amoeba Review

02/25/2013

It’s hard to believe this is the first solo LP from one of the most revered guitarists of all time, barring Marr’s 2003 album with The Healers. From its outset The Messenger doesn’t run from Marr’s past with The Smiths, hitting so many pressure points for Smiths fans, they might double over (really, between this and My Bloody Valentine’s MBV, this is a great time to be a music geek). “The Right Thing Right” takes off on Marr’s signature strum, effortlessly stacking major to minor chord transitions and delivering the sort of shuffle that moved along songs like “Nowhere Fast.” The Messenger isn’t pure nostalgia, however. Songs like “I Want the Heartbeat” could take getting used to for Marr fans, featuring heavier, more distorted guitars than Marr is typically known for. Though Marr doesn’t have anything approaching Morrissey’s overarching persona, his vocals are amiable enough to carry songs like “European Me” through their stirring arrangements. Remarkably, The Messenger doesn’t sound out of step with modern Britpop, incorporating an electronic dance beat and disco-inspired bassline into the title track’s minor-key melancholy. At its best, it’s as though Marr is instructing his followers that you can have it both ways — loud guitars and soaring choruses complete with the intricate detail that makes the whole thing run smoothly.

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Track Listing



Disc 1 Titles
Artist
Length
1.
The Right Thing Right 		Johnny Marr 03:41
2.
I Want The Heartbeat 		Johnny Marr 02:47
3.
European Me 		Johnny Marr 03:56
4.
Upstarts 		Johnny Marr 03:38
5.
Lockdown 		Johnny Marr 03:58
6.
The Messenger 		Johnny Marr 04:29
7.
Generate! Generate! 		Johnny Marr 04:21
8.
Say Demesne 		Johnny Marr 05:37
9.
Sun & Moon 		Johnny Marr 03:23
10.
The Crack Up 		Johnny Marr 03:52
11.
New Town Velocity 		Johnny Marr 05:11
12.
Word Starts Attack 		Johnny Marr 03:29

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