Each week, a Globe-pal (AKA a DJ at 91.1 the Globe) takes a song of their choosing, and dishes out a healthy review to be sent out and posted on globeradio.org/music.
The Globe Track of the Week is an excellent way to keep up with the new tunes presented weekly on 91.1 the Globe, the best college radio station in Indiana.
March comes in like a lion, and so does Johnny Marr’s latest album: Fever Dreams Pts 1-4. Its lead single and opener “Spirit, Power and Soul” is our Globe Track of The Week.
Marr himself describes the song as “electro gospel.” While there’s nothing outright religious about the track, its lyrics possess a spiritual quality:
Now time has come
Spirit, power and soul
And I get the feeling
Spirit, power and soul
Lay awake too long
Dark has come, hope has gone
I seen some glimmer in things
It’s just the vision I’m in
When we all turn to gold
This song is ultimately about maintaining hope in dark times. Johnny Marr’s new album is undoubtedly a product of the adversity that we have collectively faced in the past two years: isolation, uncertainty, social unrest. It dares us to face the darkness head-on. Moreover, this is a stark contrast to the discography of The Smiths, for whom Marr served as guitarist before the group disbanded in 1987.
As for the sound of “Spirit, Power and Soul” and Fever Dreams, it feels like a blend of influences from The Smiths and groups such as Joy Division and Depeche Mode, deftly balancing synths with electric guitar.
Marr can be seen wielding a nine-pickup Fender Stratocaster in the music video for “Spirit, Power and Soul.” The instrument has been dubbed “the Spirit Strat.” The additional pickups give the guitar a distinctive, distorted tone. Blending the sound of 1980s alternative rock and synth-pop with modern production, Marr brings forth a fresh, edgy and soulful new album.
– Liam Morris
