Published on Jan 2, 1999
Did Matt Johnson and The The search out a more commercial sound,
or did the commercial sound shape itself to The The’s music?
Their 1993 album
Dusk doesn’t provide a clear answer to that question, but
there’s no denying that the ten songs that make up this album are
the most radio-friendly that Johnson and crew had crafted yet. It
also has some of the band’s strongest moments to date.
Now, I don’t mean to suggest that Johnson sacrificed anything in
his music in order to get airplay; there still is a lot of
intensity in the music on
Dusk (though not nearly as much as on their previous album
Mind Bomb). Songs like “Love Is Stronger Than Death” and
“Lonely Planet” still pack powerful messages, only this time,
they’re wrapped around some beautiful melodies. If anything, I
would dare to suggest that Johnson’s music had matured.
And the songs that did make it onto the airwaves, namely “Dogs
Of Lust” and “Slow Emotion Replay,” are both very good examples of
what kind of a band The The could be when things worked out right
for them. Although I do prefer “Slow Emotion Replay,” each song
holds its own well, even five years after this album’s release. (I
wonder why “Helpline Operator” didn’t get this kind of attention;
it’s just as powerful of a track.)
With everything that goes right on
Dusk, there are still a few minor points of contention that
must be raised. First, Johnson has always seemed to have a
fascination with song styles that make them sound like they came
from the turn of the century. “The Beat(en) Generation” off
Mind Bomb and its swing-style fell under this heading; on
Dusk, “This Is The Night” is the target. And I’m sorry,
Matt, but this just doesn’t work as well as you’d like it to.
Second, I have to question whether guitarist Johnny Marr’s duties
had been relegated on this album. (By the time The The played a
concert broadcast on the radio — released as
Yeah, It’s A Bootleg — Marr was out of the band.)
The only other criticism is that it takes a little time to
really get into the second half of
Dusk, though after a while, its natural beauty comes
through, as heard on tracks like “Lung Shadows” and “Sodium Light
Baby.”
Still,
Dusk is easily the most approachable album that The The had
produced up to then, and remains a high water mark for them. If
you’re at all curious about this band, this is probably the best
album to start with.