Published on May 3, 2000
Matt Johnson has never been an artist who dares to walk the same
path twice in a row, even if it meant giving up commercial success.
After his band/collective The The enjoyed the success of
Dusk and the pleasure of getting airplay with such songs as
“Slow Emotion Replay,” he took a step back and, in a shocking move
to some, chose to rework the songs of Hank Williams, Sr. on
Hanky Panky. Even so, each move has seemed to be a natrual
progression for The The.
So why is it that when I listen to
NakedSelf, The The’s first released album in five years, I
feel like we’ve missed a step along Johnson’s creative path?
There’s some great material on this disc, but it almost is as if
we’re joining a movie already in progress.
Originally, The The were set to release an album named
Gun Sluts in 1997 – until Sony Music balked and said they
wouldn’t release it. (If I’ve read stories correctly, Johnson is
planning on releasing this disc independently later this year.) So
maybe
NakedSelf is the next logical step from
Gun Sluts – and it might have been easier to make the
transition from
Hanky Panky had we been able to listen to the entire
artistic process.
Still, you deal with what you’ve got in front of you – and
NakedSelf continues Johnson’s melancholic/sarcastic look at
life in general. As in many of The The’s greatest works, Johnson is
at his creative peak when he takes a look at the difficulties of
life, whether they be loneliness (“The Whisperers”) or facing off
against a looming mid-life crisis (“Soul Catcher”). Most powerful
moment, from “Soul Catcher”: “My life is halfway through / And I
still haven’t done / What I’m here to do.” Ka-pow.
Likewise, Johnson is not above thumbing his nose at society.
Similar to his look at how organized religion may have missed the
message they claim to preach (“Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)”,
from
Mind Bomb), “Swine Fever” is a pretty powerful tirade
against how advertisers can brainwash you into buying something you
neither needed nor wanted. It’s not going to win him a lot of
friends at the ad agencies, but you have to admire how Johnson uses
words and music so forcefully.
NakedSelf comes to a boil at the closing track, “Salt
Water,” a song which seems to allow Johnson and his present
partner-in-crime, guitarist Eric Schermerhorn, a chance to let off
some creative steam. The track itself sounds like it could have
come from any ’80s new wave band, and is kind of fun.
The biggest complaint I have with
NakedSelf is many songs sound like they needed more
instrumentation. “December Sunlight” and “Shrunken Man” are both
very powerful songs lyrically, but musically, there’s not always
the muscle present to back up the message. “December Sunlight” is
especially guilty of this, featuring just Johnson on vocals and
Schermerhorn on guitars and bass. I don’t know exactly what it
needed instrumentally, but I know it cried out for more.
And, like many of The The’s albums, you really need to spend
some time with
NakedSelf to fully appreciate its power. “Global Eyes” is
another stinging indictment of modern life (though I admit I’m
still trying to uncover its full meaning), but it took me some
seven listens before I really got into this track. It reminds me a
lot of “Helpline Operator” off of
Dusk.
NakedSelf is the kind of album that will thrill the devotees
of The The, even if not a lot of the material on the disc is
written with the goal of radio airplay. (“Voidy Numbness” and,
though it’s brief, “Salt Water” would be my selections if I were a
music director.) While it’s not always the easiest album from The
The to get into, it is a nice return to the scene for Johnson.
Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait five years for the next
album.