Johnny Marr – Call the Comet

Mixing modern and traditional

In his third solo album, former The Smiths songwriter Johnny Marr has managed to put out a solid project that successfully walks the line between being politically aware and enjoyable rock. Call the Comet features multiple songs that show Marr still has what it takes to create great music.

Lead single “The Tracers” is a great template for this album and sets the tone early on. It strikes the perfect balance between Marr’s beautiful guitar work and a more modern and experimental production. Album opener “Rise” is similarly successful in its attempt to blend Marr’s strengths and modern sensibilities. “Hi Hello” and “Day In Day Out” also lean into Marr’s iconic guitar playing while managing to stay away from becoming over-indulgent.

However, this album is not without its shortcomings. “My Eternal” is the clearest example of Marr’s ability to create ambitious backgrounds that his vocals simply don’t live up to. One wonders what could have been if a more naturally melodramatic singer was behind the mic. Still, Marr proves he can write ambitious songs successfully and repeatedly throughout this album, and the only knock is his vocals.

Thankfully, Marr proved he is capable of avoiding controversy with his politics as this album cycle features Marr talking up his liberal ideals. “This time around, I had to imagine a society, rather than just report what I see,” Marr explained to NME of his inspiration behind Call The Comet. His devotion to mixing the future with an unfiltered look at the present is apparent in his music, with nods to the past on songs like “Hey Angel” mixed with the cinematic magic he’s made with Hanz Zimmer. All in all, Marr proved on this album that his music still holds merit and his guitar prowess still holds up after all these years.