Johnny Marr, Still Pushing His Perfect Wheel on The Age of Everything
Austin Yagoda
Writer
October 4, 2026
When a craft has been so perfected, so profoundly better than its comparisons, does it ever really need to be reinvented? Johnny Marr would say no, and to piss off. Recognized as one of the greatest guitarists of the 1980s, Marr exploded onto the scene as the lead guitarist for The Smiths, cooking up riffs and a style that was unmistakably his own. One of the original “jangle” guitarists, his disdain for stereotypical rock guitarists led him to produce a poppy and unpredictable sound that became the foundation of his influence. Since exploring his own sound post-Smiths, Marr has released five studio albums, as well as several works in production and movie soundtracks. His latest studio album, The Age of Everything, is a silver-lined and energetic tracklist during which his guitar has plenty of time in the limelight, complemented by his own vocals and backing production.
Reminiscent of his time writing film melodies for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, “Spin” and “Beyond the Rain” both carry an atmosphere of cool in more of a heroic sense than his usual unusuality in production. The contrary motion between bass and lead guitar, as well as much simpler chords, makes for a more epic and uplifting vibe at the expense of Marr’s signature bubbliness. Especially in “Beyond the Rain,” however, the use of group vocals during the tail end of the chorus creates a beautifully dramatic harmony that leads us straight into more of what we came for.
“It’s Time” was released as a single a month before the album, making for a great hook for those who dearly missed the sound of his Fender Jaguar. Mixed with the theatricality of the project, it makes for a triumphant opener to the album’s release. Seemingly expanding on his forty-year-old opening riff from “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others,” Marr expertly dangles the carrot ahead of starved Smiths fans, though not as lyrically creative or humorous as the latter song suggests through Morrissey’s writing. Though Marr’s lyrics do leave some to be desired, his guitar work more than makes up for it.
“How Come” is somewhat of a step back, more akin to the opening two songs of the album than the ones that follow. The main driving force of the track is Marr’s voice, which delivers words of dreary wonder on the world, like “And time’s a world left behind… No, there aren’t any words left to find.”
“Ophelia” opens boldly with a classic Smiths-era riff, leading into lines about the fiery titular character, likely in reference to his wife, Angie. “That Feeling” follows with some of Marr’s better writing on the album, with “Nowhere ain’t somewhere to be free” standing out as a particularly strong line. The rhythm section also carries much of the song during its guitarless periods, with the drum and bass tandem working together to punctuate key moments. The bass is particularly noteworthy, often going on its own adventures, with shades of Interpol clearly heard throughout.
“In and Out of Love” features provocative lyricism and stringwork, a refreshing change of pace in the tracklist. Almost moody enough to be in a Transformers film during a sunset scene, the song offers a more unique style compared to the rest of the album, with backing vocals once again adding to the strength of the outro. “Just Once More” follows with a whole squad of guitars, as well as the rare heavier guitar from Marr, and a return to the crescendoing chorus that defined the theatrical nature of the album’s beginning.
Getting creative with it is “Fire with Fire,” which leans hard into playing around with timing and composition. Marr’s use of spacing between the bass and rhythm guitar creates and releases tension before getting riffy and hyped-up during the chorus. The track brings the creativity displayed in the atmosphere of the album’s opening into a much more polished composition and open-ended songwriting.
Wrapping up the project is “All in a Life,” slowing down from the previous track and opening up space between strums for its sparsely placed lyrics and spacey sounds, which are not normally used by an instrumentalist like Marr. With his guitar once again saying more than his voice, it makes up the majority of the track’s final moments, followed by a brief guest appearance from the keyboard to cap off the album.
While the main point of evolution in the album is Marr’s high confidence in his voice over his renowned guitar, the strings still shine through as a main attraction and centerpiece. Though it is a great display of composition and production talent, the vague lyricism leaves quite a bit to be desired from an artist coming from one of the most influential bands in alt-rock. Additionally, the jangle guitar style is nearly perfect throughout every song where it is worked into, though the surrounding tracks do not always do enough to support it. It often feels more like a separate entity than a proper part of each song.
While able to remain bright and a great listen, the album does not push too far into new territory. Though you can’t expect that out of a 62-year-old who has already topped charts on both sides of the pond and inspired a whole generation of guitarists after him.
Good work, Johnny. Keep pushing that wheel
Edited by: Jade Read
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