CD Review: Johnny Marr – Playland

Playland is the kind of Johnny Marr album the world was crying out for in 1989, but isn’t going to raise many eyebrows in 2014.

Playland by Johnny Marr. Alternative Distribution Alliance / AP photo

Johnny Marr: Playland

(New Voodoo Records) Two stars

The thing about Johnny Marr is that he needs a band to shine. The inimitable guitarist and songwriter behind The Smiths, Marr has made plenty of notable music since that genre-defining outfit combusted 27 years ago. Among his successful post-Smiths achievements are stints with The The, Modest Mouse, The Cribs and his own Electronic. But all alone? Aside from 2003's short-lived Healers project, Marr has avoided the mic, until last year's solo debut The Messenger – a well-received but far from revelatory indie-rock offering. Playland picks up where that release left off – jangly six-string riffs with a touch more oomph than The Smiths, slightly lacklustre (but far from embarrassing) vocals and conventional indie-pop arrangements that typically round off at under four minutes. It's not bad – the Springsteen-sized Dynamo nods along pleasantly, while there's a reckless, retro verve to the title track – it's just a tad bland. It's the kind of Johnny Marr album the world was crying out for in 1989 but isn't going to raise many eyebrows in 2014.