Thursday 14 December 2017

New Music: Johnny Marr & Maxine Peake - The Priest (Video)


I’ve had a few days away from the blog, but during that time there is one piece of music I heard that absolutely blew me away. So better late than never I'm casting it here. It’s the new collaborative single between Johnny Marr and actress Maxine Peake.

As time goes on and we all get that little bit older it seems that Johnny Marr is becoming ever more likeable and ever more wise, the opposite to Morrissey, the man he once had a special creative relationship with, who dives deeper and deeper into a world of hate and awfulness. 

Therefore, it should be no surprise to find that unlike Morrissey's at best patchy album, Marr has created something cinematic, powerful, intimate and graceful. It's staggeringly good. But more than that. The Priest is compelling because it’s so thoughtful. 

Taking as its starting point the words of Joe Gallagher, a man who was homeless, that has used his ability with words to make his life a bit better, and delivering them through a female voice from Peake, before casting a young actress in the video (20 year-old Molly Windsor), the whole piece avoids stereotypes and joins the dots between all types of people. This is pop music / art with a social conscience; and it makes you think that anyone could fall into this situation given a bad deal.

If only Morrissey could take a few lessons from Marr. This one gave me goose bumps. A very meaningful piece of work.

Johnny Marr & Maxine Peake - The Priest (Video)


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