Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Johnny Marr always wanted nothing more than to play guitar in a rock & roll band, so once he finally got his solo career off the ground in 2013 with The Messenger, he couldn't stop. As he toured the album, he continued to write new songs, then he took his touring band back into the studio with producer Doviak -- the same collaborator as on the 2013 record -- to knock out Playland. Unsurprisingly, the 2014 sequel feels cut from the same cloth as The Messenger, containing the same blend of classicist British pop values and modernist rock production that constitutes something of a throwback to the pre-Brit-pop '90s. If anything, Playland places a heavier emphasis on prominent dance beats ("Easy Money") and shimmering synthesized surfaces ("Candidate," "25 Hours"), which means this winds up recalling Electronic nearly as much as it does the Smiths, a nice transition that emphasizes Marr's sonic palette nearly as much as his songwriting and expert instrumental skills. Furthermore, Playland proves Marr wasn't wrong to rush into the studio to cut a second album quickly: it may glisten more than The Messenger, but it's a more visceral experience, gaining energy from its performance and also the sense that nothing here was fussed over. All this means that Playland is superficially more pop with all its style and flair, but it plays more like a rock & roll album, always in a hurry to make its point understood as quickly as possible.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $17.49/month
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Johnny Marr, Composer, Writer, MainArtist - James Doviak, Writer
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Album review
Johnny Marr always wanted nothing more than to play guitar in a rock & roll band, so once he finally got his solo career off the ground in 2013 with The Messenger, he couldn't stop. As he toured the album, he continued to write new songs, then he took his touring band back into the studio with producer Doviak -- the same collaborator as on the 2013 record -- to knock out Playland. Unsurprisingly, the 2014 sequel feels cut from the same cloth as The Messenger, containing the same blend of classicist British pop values and modernist rock production that constitutes something of a throwback to the pre-Brit-pop '90s. If anything, Playland places a heavier emphasis on prominent dance beats ("Easy Money") and shimmering synthesized surfaces ("Candidate," "25 Hours"), which means this winds up recalling Electronic nearly as much as it does the Smiths, a nice transition that emphasizes Marr's sonic palette nearly as much as his songwriting and expert instrumental skills. Furthermore, Playland proves Marr wasn't wrong to rush into the studio to cut a second album quickly: it may glisten more than The Messenger, but it's a more visceral experience, gaining energy from its performance and also the sense that nothing here was fussed over. All this means that Playland is superficially more pop with all its style and flair, but it plays more like a rock & roll album, always in a hurry to make its point understood as quickly as possible.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:58
- Main artists: Johnny Marr
- Composer: Johnny Marr
- Label: BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
© 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited ℗ 2014 New Voodoo Limited under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.