By: Shivi Gupta
Johnny Marr’s new album The Age of Everything is truly an embodiment of the complex modern world we live in, hence the title. The first song “Spin” which originally launched as a single in June with the announcement of this album is a great introduction to this theme. With the psychedelic sense created through treated guitars in songs like “Spin,” Marr perfectly captures the confusion and chaos that come with modern standards. “Spin” understands the anxiety of wondering if the fast pace of modernity may now be “the way that it goes.”
With the next track “Beyond the Rain,” one of my personal favorites as a self-proclaimed optimist, Marr takes a different approach. With energetic music and weather metaphors for emotions reminiscent of more retro songs, Marr’s refreshing take on the necessity of optimism in the world is clear. With how hopeless things have been on the news this year, “Beyond the Rain’s” message of maintaining hope and “living in the season” is something I didn’t know I needed. The heavenly background chorus and later riff add an element of support that also contributes to the song and the album’s message as a whole.
The starting riff of “It’s Time” continues the trend of living in modernity by addressing the corruption in our world and how to address it. With the faster paced tune and lyrics, “It’s Time” highlights how important it is to “mobilize and know the truth” in a world plagued by bias and profit-motives for information. The track’s catchy lyrics and enduring message definitely give it that timeless quality that I’m sure will keep the song alive long from now.
The next track “How Come” kicks things into high gear with its buoyant, dynamic tune. The modern world is a strong presence in this song as the lyrics address how “no one ever feels the same as everyone” despite how much more interconnected the world is with social media and the internet. The use of louder, more upbeat sounds rather than softer, more reflective tunes mirrors the mental cacophony of life in the modern world while screaming for us to understand the message. The more upbeat nature of the song also places optimism as the connecting thread for the tracks in the album.
“Ophelia” is where a shift happens and the album deviates from the established pattern of modernity with an unintentional reference to Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. While the reference to Hamlet’s Ophelia was a happy accident Johnny Marr kept, the song is inspired by a strong female figure in Johnny Marr’s personal life. With its clear classic rock inspiration and more personal motives, the song’s more tentative connection to the rest of the album’s theme makes sense. That being said, the song is still making it onto my playlist for this month!
“That Feeling” packs a punch with its more rhythmic, gentle tunes and overall comforting message. The song’s just like a big bear hug, a mug filled with hot chocolate, and being wrapped in a blanket all in one. It’s the perfect song to remind us that at the end of the day, we’re all human and we’re allowed to make mistakes and be wrong. It’s something we forget in all the expectations we put on ourselves with the privilege modernity has given us, but we can be just as wrong as the next person. That’s my opinion on this track, anyway.
“In and Out of Love” has one of my favorite intro sequences with a deeply soulful, rich sound that has a slight echo quality I adore! This song also has the most direct music references with its mentions of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and “Satellite of Love.” The repetitive slow sway of the music, similar to a waltz, perfectly captures the feeling of a lost love and the pain you feel. Make sure you keep ice cream or tissues with you when you listen to this one!
“Just Once More” brings the theme of the pain of living in modernity back with full force with its more gritty, serious tone and music shift. It definitely gives some major motivational movie vibes, but it adds to the overall charm of the song. In terms of the meaning of the song, this is definitely one of my absolute favorites. The song truly understands how messed up our world can be and isn’t afraid to shed a light on everything that is trying to kick you when you’re down.
“Fire with Fire” continues with a high energy classic rock that has a much more overt call to action than the previous songs. True to its name, “Fire with Fire” isn’t afraid to stand by fighting for what you believe in and encouraging insurgency. The classic music references, the breaks between each part, and the simple message definitely make this one of the more memorable songs included in this album.
“All in a Life” is the perfect end to this album. Its lyrics provide closure to the entire concept of living in modern day by emphasizing the main points of living made by all the previous songs. Truly, this is the song that encompasses living in the “Age of Everything” as the album title suggests. As the song states, “This dream don’t come back” so we should do all we want with our lives while we’re still in the dream because this is the time we can.
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