If Johnny Marr’s output starts to feel predictable, it’s only because he is incredibly good at what he does, and what he does is damn good. From The Smiths to The The, The Cribs to his solo work, frontman or sideman, it’s all based around the same things: highly creative guitar work and an uncanny sense of melody. The Age Of Everything (out 10/2 via BMG) is no exception.
“Spin” chimes in with a familiar melodic jangle, a danceable beat, and driving bass. There’s ’80s flourish, a little bit of Manchester, and great melodic instincts. It’s everything you’d want from Marr’s current solo run that kicked off in 2013. “Beyond The Rain” introduces one of the strongest and most developed choruses of his career, which, dare I say, has a touch of Americana in it. It’s a masterful piece of songwriting that shows some serious range.
“The Feeling,” my favorite cut on the record, continues to showcase this mastery. A mid-tempo strummer that marries a weary, down-and-out verse with a wide-open earworm chorus, it’s the sort of writing maturity that can only come from an artist with decades of experience penning hits. “Just Once More” is another late-album highlight, representing what feels like the strongest emotional peak of the album.
The Age Of Everything represents an assured work from one of the most reliable artists in the history of rock music. The balance of familiarity with the treading of new territory is rare air for the genre. Johnny Marr continues to dazzle without even a hint of the dreaded turn toward legacy act status. Let the run continue.
