Johnny Marr Announces Call The Comet, Shares Trippy Lead Single “The Tracers”

Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr announced on Friday the release of his forthcoming new album, Call The Comet, set to release on June 15. Recorded in Manchester at the musician’s very own Crazy Face Studios, Call The Comet will be Marr’s third solo album, following The Messenger (2013) and Playland (2014).

The first single released off the album is titled “The Tracers,” a darkly ambient tune that features Marr’s low-toned voice accompanied by punching bass lines and trippy synths. The musician spoke about his new album in a statement, explaining that the album follows a narrative with characters, intricate settings and an alternate reality.

“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,” Marr said. “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.”

Along with the forthcoming album’s debut single, Marr has also announced a 2018 summer tour. The 13-date run will take the musician through many cities across Europe and North America, beginning with The Button Factory in Dublin, Ireland, on May 12.

Preorders of Call The Comet are promised to come with an instant download of “The Tracers.” You can get yours through the artist’s website here.

Check out Marr’s new single via Spotify below, followed by his forthcoming album’s trailer, cover art and tracklist. You can find the musician’s 2018 tour slate further down. Then, for more on Marr, revisit Paste’s list of 10 great Marr guitar moments here and our picks for the 10 best Smiths songs right here.

Call The Comet Album Art:

Call The Comet Tracklist:
01. Rise
02. The Tracers
03. Hey Angel
04. Hi Hello
05. New Dominations
06. Day In Day Out
07. Walk Into The Sea
08. Bug
09. Actor Attractor
10. Spiral Cities
11. My Eternal
12. A Different Gun

Johnny Marr 2018 Tour Dates:

May
12 – Dublin, Ireland @ Button Factory
14 – Leeds, U.K. @ Brudenell Social Club
16 – London, U.K. @ Islington Assembly Hall
18 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Nalen
19 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ DR Koncerthuset Studie 2
20 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso Noord
21 – Berlin, Germany @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
24 – Paris, France @ La Gaite Lyrique
30 – Toronto, Ontario @ Velvet Underground
31 – New York, N.Y. @ Gramercy Theatre

June
02 – San Francisco, Calif. @ August Hall
05 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Teragram Ballroom
07 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neptune Theatre