The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come
Rough Trade
September 28th, 1987.
The Smiths final album, Strangeways Here We Come, turns 35 in all it's uncertain, sophisticated cadence - strange ways, here we come. The disbanding of a once in a generation amalgamation. The dissolving of a dearly beloved songwriting syndicate. Frayed ends on the relationship scale tends to lead to torn ends on the personal scale. The Morrissey/Marr complex, along with one of the finest rhythm sections in contemporary music in Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, jumps its final heavy hurdle. As with all good things, the end is forever on the horizon.
The signature sound of The Smiths with their joyous jangle, solid rhythms, and witty journal entries finds its terminal destination. The final port of call can be seen as a victory - the long fought battle won, the stormy seas braved. However, Strangeways doesn't, like all Smiths records, feel like a victory. More like a reflection of the times as there's always something to feel down about. The final kick from the decades head honchos falls not too far from a depressing feat. The environment in which you grow is destined to shape the eventual output in which you bring to life. The sun and its magnetic pull throws shade on those it decides to pick upon. The Mancunian sun, or lack thereof, seemed to have it out for this collective of era defining lads.
The past is pulled into the present through experience, wrapped in its best fit, and pumped through the character of the given day. In this case, unforgiving, irreverent irony - girlfriend in a coma, oh no. Always raining, never reigning - forever under the weather. Dour, wet, damp. Three words to wrap up the output found on Strangeways. Never quite being in the right headspace to enjoy life for what it is. Seeing things with a twisted eye - bent out of shape by unhappy birthdays and dodgy dealings.
Frequent downpours offer means for frequent alone time. Fortunately, the reflective period can give time to work on mindsets and outlooks. These said things tend to influence art heavily. As with all cities that are renowned for their rainfall, the artistic output tends to align with a downcast demeanour - amazing art, however.
