The The
Dusk (1992)

Review by: Michael Walls
Date: 6/1/03

Emerging with the 80s alternative crowd, among the likes of The Cure and The Smiths, Matt Johnson, aka The The, managed to sail through 80s and into the 90s, unscathed and more intact then some of his better-known fellow alt rockers.

Johnson’s career began in ‘81 with a solo album, took form in ‘86 with the release of Infected (under the moniker of The The), and got wider recognition in ’89 with the release of Mind Bomb.

Dusk was released in the UK in 1992, then in the US in 1993 to rave reviews, and became The The’s most successful album – but it still flew underneath the pop radio radar that was too busy pushing U2’s Zooropa and the Spin Doctors.

Johnson has always stretched the boundaries of music genres, crossing over and back again, but never really embracing a particular sound or fad. That is part of the reason The The has transcended decades – it never sounds outdated or unfashionable.

But the music has always been the accepted and agreed upon element in Matt Johnson’s work. With a sound that ranges from industrial, to house dance, to soulful pop, to retro country, depending on the album – and with a powerful and distinct vocal presence along the lines of Bryan Ferry meets Elvis – the music is always good.

It’s been the lyrics and messages that have probably kept Johnson out of the spotlight and off the billboards. Infected was a politically charged album, taking shots at UK politics and big business (something that was trendy in the 70s, but not so much in the 80s), while Mind Bomb got down and dirty on religious subject matters.

Dusk took on some different themes for Johnson – themes like love and hope. In the past he has always questioned the answers, questioned society itself. With Dusk, he questions himself.

The opening track "True Happiness This Way Lies" lays it all on the line right away. Coming off as almost a prelude to the rest of the album, Johnson, in spoken word, asks:

"Have you ever wanted something so badly,
that it possessed your body and your soul,
through the night and through the day,
until you finally get it?
And then you realize that –
it wasn’t what you wanted after all."

With the help of ex-Smiths guitarist, Johnny Marr, and other talented musicians, Johnson weaves a sometimes soulful, sometimes funky, but always intriguing, pop album – using piano, hammond organ, and harmonicas to create and control a mood from start to finish.

After the prelude of "True Happiness.." comes "Love is Stronger Than Death", a soulful outpouring of Johnson lyrics, backed by subtle instruments and a Marr harmonica solo. From here we move onto "This is the Night", a playful honky-tonk, smoky piano bar tune, then "Helpline Operator", a sexy, Roxy Music-sounding funk song. "Sodium Light Baby" sees Marr on the wa-wa pedals, with a hammond organ backing and Johnson growling out the words. "Bluer Than Midnight", another soulful blues number, is played mostly as an acoustic piano piece. The CD ends on "Lonely Planet" where Johnson lyrically ties it all together for himself:

"We’re running out of love, running of hate,
running out of space for the human race,
planet Earth is slowing down…
If you can’t change the world, change yourself."

One of the most underrated artists and songwriters, Matt Johnson and The The have managed to survive and create intellectual and sophisticated pop music for over 20 years. Dusk is probably The The’s finest work; quite possibly one of the finest albums to come out of the 90s; and may be one of the best albums you don’t own.