Johnny Marr has released ‘It’s Time’, the latest track from his forthcoming album The Age Of Everything, with the new single taking aim at cynicism and corruption while finding hope in idealism.

The song premiered live on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show, with Marr describing it as his way of addressing “some worldly issues” while still finding “defiance, in idealism”.

“I wanted a lyric that matched the exuberance of the music but is actually about resisting cynicism and corruption,” Marr says.

‘It’s Time’ is Marr at his most immediate. The guitars are bright and expansive, the rhythm pushes relentlessly forward and the chorus has the sort of lift that makes it easy to imagine a festival crowd singing it back. There is a seriousness to what Marr is saying, but musically he refuses to wallow in it. Instead, he turns his frustration with cynicism and corruption into something exhilarating, which is arguably the song’s biggest strength.

Marr sings: “Everybody ain't making it, change the weather and breaking it. Mobilise to know the truth. Open eyes to know the truth.”

“I guess it's about the assholes with dodgy views,” he adds.

‘It’s Time’ is the third track to emerge from The Age Of Everything, following ‘Spin’ and ‘Ophelia’. ‘Spin’ has become a regular across BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, Virgin, Absolute and Radio X playlists, while NME described it as “soaring and urgent”. ‘Ophelia’ was praised by CLASH as “a sign of the creative confidence running through Johnny Marr’s work right now”.

The video for ‘It’s Time’ was filmed earlier this year during Marr’s biggest solo headline show to date, a sold-out homecoming performance at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl. The gig saw Marr perform a set spanning his career alongside new and unreleased material.

The Age Of Everything is Marr’s fifth full-length studio album and arrives on October 2 via BMG. The ten-track record was written in London, developed live on the road across the East Coast of North America and recorded in Manchester.

Marr describes the album as the most cathartic songwriting of his career, with the record capturing the energy and tensions of the city through a sound that is sharp, fast and dynamic.

The new album is part of a busy period for Marr, who will also see an extensive collection of his guitars go under the hammer at Christie’s later this year. Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection will feature around 80 guitars associated with his career and songwriting.

An anniversary edition of Marr’s acclaimed autobiography Set The Boy Free will also be published by Thames & Hudson on October 22. The new edition includes previously unseen archival photography, a new introduction, a personal eulogy for his former Smiths bandmate Andy Rourke and a foreword by Noel Gallagher.

The Age Of Everything is released on October 2 via BMG.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and chief editor of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.