Johnny Marr’s new single is a desperate plea to anyone who might be able to save mankind from its current predicament.
The 54-year-old musician – best known for his time with The Smiths – has released new single ‘The Tracers’, the first from his third solo album ‘Call The Comet’, in which he confronts his disillusion with politics and religion.
Johnny told NME: "I had the title for a while and it suggested an otherworldly kind of being. The vibe of the whole record has got an otherworldly sort of feeling to it anyway. It suggested some kind of intelligence. Not quite aliens, I’m not there yet. The idea of the song is that the Earth is looking towards alternative intelligence to help us out from the malaise or dilemma that we may find ourselves in.
"The Tracers are the either a form of intelligence from a parallel universe, a different dimension or a different planet."
He added: "I was writing ‘The Tracers’ over the period of a week or so, and this phrase ‘Call The Comet’ came from my subconscious as a kind of plea. The sounds high-faluting, but it’s a call for something to come and help us because materialism isn’t work, capitalism isn’t working, religion isn’t working, politics isn’t working.
"It was then pointed out to me by a friend that comet’s are usually about annihilation, but I didn’t really see it that way – I saw it as a reset."
‘Call The Comet’ will be released on June 15. The 12-track album features new single ‘The Tracers’, with other highlights including ‘Actor Attractor’, ‘Walk Into The Sea’ and ‘Bug’.
Johnny revealed he had sought inspiration from science fiction for the new record.
He explained: "’Call The Comet’ is my own magic realism.
"It’s set in the not-too-distant future and is mostly concerned with the idea of an alternative society. The characters in the songs are searching for a new idealism, although there are some personal songs in there too. It’s something that people like me can relate to."
Johnny Marr’s single is call to save the world
