Johnny Marr is on his game with ‘Playland’

Johnny Marr
“Playland”
(Warner)

When Johnny Marr completed his first solo album, “The Messenger,” in 2013, the man behind the beautifully maudlin rhythms of The Smiths didn’t rest on his laurels. He continued to write, and his sophomore effort, “Playland,” is the pleasant result of that work ethic.
“Playland” is strong with guitar certainly, but is also rich with hooks and a decidedly energetic pace. If you’re waiting for sad Smith-ian sand kickers, you won’t find them here. Marr is ready to embrace the pell-mell pace of the universe on “Back in the Box.” “Just everything is breaking us out/From the inside and the outside,” Marr sings on that track.
Marr airs out things into a larger wall of sound, offering the solid song “Candidate,” about living in the moment. I’m tempted to play that song backward to discern if there’s a hidden clue about a reunion of The Smiths. Mercurial Smiths frontman Morrissey and Marr remain publicly at odds over the proposal, but there’s always hope.
Meanwhile, Marr’s solo effort on “Playland” proves he’s capable of going it alone. (AP)


Bob Dylan’s late-night disc

Bob Dylan
“Shadows in the Night”
(Columbia)

Bob Dylan has never called “Shadows in the Night” a Frank Sinatra tribute album. The idea seems nuts: one of the last century’s greatest songwriters challenging perhaps its greatest voice, on Sinatra’s turf. No wonder it was the butt of jokes before anyone heard a note.
The fact remains that each of the 10 standards here, written between 1923 and 1963, was recorded by Sinatra. Some, like “Some Enchanted Evening” or “That Lucky Old Sun,” are fairly well known, others more obscure. Dylan closed his last few concerts with one of them, “Stay With Me.”
The precise, and even more intimidating, comparison is Sinatra’s superb 1955 concept disc, “In the Wee Small Hours.” For these are all songs that come to mind when the night gets long, when missed opportunities, regrets and lost loves come to mind. They’re the songs you’d expect the 73-year-old man sitting at the end of the bar to request.
The disc is consistent with Dylan’s later-period emphasis on classic American songcraft and material that evokes mortality. It is very specific in its appeal. Yet when it’s time to turn down the lights and pick up a tumbler, you could do far worse. (AP)


Ne-Yo’s ‘Non-Fiction’ tells the same story

Ne-Yo
“Non-Fiction”
(Motown)

Ahh, Ne-Yo. So much talent -- the voice, the songwriting. And yet, somehow, such a boring album.
It’s a little crazy-making, truth be told. All the ingredients are here -- some hot beats; smooth, rich vocals; and the idea of an album as a whole concept rather than a collection of songs. So why isn’t it more interesting or compelling.
Maybe because this album, his sixth, feels so one-dimensional. A song about a woman. Another song about a woman, this one using him for whatever celebrity swag she can get. Oh hey, a song about sex with a woman, or preferably two (which interestingly, has a beautiful melody). Aaaaannnd, another song about a woman, who decided to move on to someone else and Ne-Yo wishes her well.
Ne-Yo says the songs came from stories, from his life and those of his fans, but they’re all saying the same thing.
With his extensive vocal and musical skills, it would likely be fascinating to hear the outcome if Ne-Yo decided to broaden his musical conversation. (AP)