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The Messenger was one of my personal favourite albums of 2013, so it it is fair to say that I came to Playland with high expectations. Songs like "The Right Thing Right" and "Upstarts" rarely left the car stereo all year and growers such as "New Town Velocity" and "Say Demesne" became deep and soulful meditations. So what of the follow-up? Well, actually it's pretty much the same. First of all, as with the Messenger, play this CD in the car. It pulses and Marr moves through the songs with immense power and dedication, creating many "thump the wheel" moments.
Playland starts disappointingly with "Back In The Box", possibly the worst track on the album. It has a bland melody however it chugs along at a good speed, creating only a fleeting glimpse of mediocrity.
"Easy Money" is great as most people will already know. A brilliantly catchy single with good lyrics that deserved far more airplay than it received. It really is a stunner and Marr sounds great vocally on it too.
Other album highlights include "Dynamo" and "25 Hours", two songs that reveal their true treasures after repeated listens. Playland is yet another album that works better as a whole and less so the sum of its parts.
As a sophomore effort, Playland is more of the same. But because the Messenger was so surprisingly decent, more is welcome. The only concern being that this album leaves Marr with very little to go to from here on. He has a signature sound that will become dull by the third time around and change will be needed. However, for the time being, Playland is exceptional, probably not as much so as the Messenger, but it's fun, jangly as hell and the lyrics ain't half bad this time. Good job, Mr Marr.
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