Dusk [Remaster]

Spin - Recommended - "...far from losing himself in lament, [vocalist/songwriter Matt Johnson] exults in our corruption, housing his mad cackles in desirable melodic surroundings. Not since Karen Carpenter has a voice been so immaculately recorded..." Q - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...[vocalist] Johnson's voice booms its intimate heroism as per usual, and DUSK likewise sounds big, tuneful yet uncluttered, recalling his masterpiece, 1983's SOUL MINING..." NME - "...[vocalist] Johnson is possessed by the ghost of John Lennon, as DUSK is full of heartfelt sloganeering, angst-ridden wailing and, paradoxically, a high hummability rating..." NME - Ranked #19 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...DUSK was a watershed for Matt Johnson after years of apocalyptic doom-saying... Rolling Stone - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...With DUSK, [vocalist] Matt Johnson displays his maturity as a songwriter, and The The reveals itself as a band in full command of its gifts at the very beginning of collective musical discovery..." Magnet - "While Johnson's outlook teeters from bleak to cautiously hopeful, Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr conjures the perfect musical moods throughout..." Rolling Stone (2/4/93, p.66) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...With DUSK, [vocalist] Matt Johnson displays his maturity as a songwriter, and The The reveals itself as a band in full command of its gifts at the very beginning of collective musical discovery..." Spin (3/93, p.75) - Recommended - "...far from losing himself in lament, [vocalist/songwriter Matt Johnson] exults in our corruption, housing his mad cackles in desirable melodic surroundings. Not since Karen Carpenter has a voice been so immaculately recorded..." Q (2/93, p.83) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...[vocalist] Johnson's voice booms its intimate heroism as per usual, and DUSK likewise sounds big, tuneful yet uncluttered, recalling his masterpiece, 1983's SOUL MINING..." NME (2/6/93, p.30) - "...[vocalist] Johnson is possessed by the ghost of John Lennon, as DUSK is full of heartfelt sloganeering, angst-ridden wailing and, paradoxically, a high hummability rating..." NME (12/25/93, p.66) - Ranked #19 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...DUSK was a watershed for Matt Johnson after years of apocalyptic doom-saying...

DUSK continues Matt Johnson's lacerating examination of everything from social decay to his own tortured psyche, leaving no scab unpicked and no wound fully healed. What keep his songs from sinking into egotistical self-flagellation are his gift for catchy, funky, and even danceable music, and his knack for mirroring his internal conflict with universal concerns.
Highlights here include "This Is the Night", featuring Johnson at his most vocally emotive and with a barreling, honky-tonk piano, and the beautiful "Bluer Than Midnight", a simple, acoustic track with piano, drums, and a trumpet. Also of note are the album's two singles, "Dogs of Lust", and "Slow Emotion Replay". The first highlights James Eller's dense bass line echoing Johnson's forceful vocals, while the second brings Johnny Marr's guitar and harmonica to the forefront, recalling his stint with the Smiths. However when shot through with Johnson's lyrics and vocals, the song becomes much more personal than the Smiths ever were--the sound of a man resigned to his perceived fate, rather than reveling in it. The album also ends with a message that, if not quite hopeful, is at least one of positive action: "If you can't change the world, change yourself".|