Johnny Marr - Playland is on Spotify

Johnny seems to have found his "own" voice with this one. It doesn't really sound like anything he has done before, the riffs, vocals, and synth-lines are very simple but catchy, vocals are much better, as is the production.

The closest thing I could say this sounds like, strangely enough, are the Bona Drag-era Morrissey/Street songs, like Disappointed, Lucky Lisp, Last Of The Famous, Will Never Marry.

The highlights for me are Back In The Box, Dynamo, 25 Hours, This Tension.

He still has the track length problem he had with The Messenger...Tracks like Easy Money, Candidate, Playland, Speak Out, could easily lose a minute each, and not hurt the song.

Overall, I would say this is a more solid album than the last, there really isn't a clunker here, like there was with The Messenger...but there is no song as good as New Town Velocity.
 
Re: Johnny Marr - Playand - Album stream on Spotify

Everything is improved from the last album. The songs have some depth now.

Back In The Box, Dynamo, 25 Hours, and This Tension are all excellent. Easy Money, The Trap, and Speak Out Reach Out are very good. Candidate, Boys Get Straight, and Little King are a little too catchy/poppy and are now beginning to become annoying. The title track is just OK.
 
Yes stoked about that - hopefully he'll add a Wellington gig.

Thanks to op for link! :)
 
Sounds encouraging. I loved NTV, really liked TM and EM, but thought the rest of the Messenger was pretty rubbish with a number of songs bordering on unlistenable.
If this gets good reviews (4/5), and I hear at least a couple of songs I really like, I'll buy it.
It's pretty impressive to bring two albums out within 18 months these days. Go Johnny!
 
I'm very surprised to see him producing something so quickly. Hopefully this work ethic continues.

The album is worth it alone for 'This Tension' but nothing else really jumps out at me as exceptional.
 
I'm very surprised to see him producing something so quickly. Hopefully this work ethic continues.

The album is worth it alone for 'This Tension' but nothing else really jumps out at me as exceptional.

This Tension has real echoes of this...



P.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This Tension has real echoes of this...


P.

That's a good spot Uncle Skinny. Just saw Johnny is doing a spread for nme dressed up as Jesus Christ. Not sure why he would agree to that ego trip but what the hey...
 
Just got my ticket to his show in Melbourne for January! His show last time was absolutely amazing so I'm sure this will be just as good. Plus it's at the forum which is the best venue in town!
 
Back
Top Bottom