FTC: The The

From The Closet deserves a delve into a generation of music that may not be represented here on a regular basis, and that’s where I come into play. My closet might run a bit deeper than those who previously post here on this site. I’m an old fart for sure, but I might have something of worth to share with you.  Follow the jump for more.

In my jaded, mature (old), subjective opinion, The The is one of the most underrated bands of the 80’s and early 90’s, and Matt Johnson is one of the most understated writers from that time period. While Johnson had been tooling away at some form of a band since the late 70’s, the true realization of his talent only began to surface in the late 80’s if not early 90’s. The third effort titled Infected landed Johnson a respectable spot in the underground alternative rock scene while he prepped for his commercially successful recording Dusk. The success may stem from the fact that Johnny Marr stepped into the role of guitarist for Dusk or maybe the music world was really beginning to take notice of the creator Johnson who tackles human emotion lyrically, completely rare and honest.  The 1993 release Dusk features Johnson at his most exposed, emotionally and career wise. The man examines the human condition in the context of darkness and emotional commitment in a way that is revealing and almost too painfully real sometimes. “Dogs Of Lust” was the approachable track from the recording with a beat and tempo pushing the context of a traditional rock song while lyrically staying true to the continued examination of himself. One of the true hits from the recording “Love Is Stronger Than Death” is probably the most straightforward revelation of Johnson’s reoccurring theme of examining his personal relationship with love and lust. “Helpline Operator” continues with the theme in a dark seductive manner, finding Johnson soulfully engaging the darker side of his favorite subject. The gloom adventurer closes out the album with a glimmering hope of something positive in the distance with the repeated lyric “If you can’t change the world, change yourself.” Dusk is the realization of Johnson’s ability to weave his lyrical psychoanalysis into catchy, approachable rock songs forcing the listener to take a longer look at their own mind bomb.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/03-Dogs-Of-Lust.mp3]