Johnny Marr – Playland

Not So Playful Playland

What made Johnny Marr so great during his tenure with The Smiths was his ability to service the song rather than his own personal interests as a guitar player. This usually meant complementing Morrissey’s dark lyrics and flexible baritone; however, within that he still managed to carve out his own sound—playfulness and lightness with the guitar that has yet to be equaled. Now, the jangle-pop guitar god is back with his second album in two years, Playland.

However the album’s title maybe a bit of a misnomer.  Many of the songs lack the liveliness of his legendary band or his previous solo effort, The Messenger. The lack of playfulness stems from three defining factors: Marr’s lack of guitar work on the album, his repetitive lyrics and his monotone vocals. Most of the album’s guitar work is overshadowed by electronic elements, as on the first track, “Back in the Box” and the monotonous lyrics on the album’s first single, “Easy Money.”

Despite all of the factors, the album is not bad. On “Dynamo,” Marr explores his falsetto to successful heights and “Candidate” has possible the best melodies on the album. The track titled “This Tension” is the album’s crown jewel in terms of guitar work.  Marr brings back his signature Smiths lights in the form of arpeggio.

What the album seems to lack is emotion. The song “25 hours” seems to recount an apocalyptic situation, but Marr has a difficult time conveying this with his vocals.

To the many Smiths devotees and guitar heads alike, Playland might be a bit of a disappointment. Regardless of this, it is interesting to see Marr veer off in different directions, even if it’s not always successful.