Playland
by Johnny Marr
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Magnet
    Nov 5, 2014
    80
    A gorgeous, seductive album. [No. 114, p.56]
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  2. AllMusic
    Oct 6, 2014
    80
    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.
  3. Alternative Press
    Oct 6, 2014
    80
    More like sophomore triumph. [Nov 2014, p.94]
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  5. New Musical Express (NME)
    Oct 6, 2014
    80
    If ‘The Messenger’ was everything anyone could want a Johnny Marr solo record to be, Playland is pretty much all anyone could hope for as a follow-up.
  6. Q Magazine
    Oct 3, 2014
    80
    Playland is better than its predecessor in pretty much every respect. The songs are better, the palette broader and there's a genuine sense of Marr hitting his stride as a solo artist. [Nov 2014, p.103]
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  7. Consequence
    Oct 3, 2014
    75
    Marr’s mastery of ambiance and sonic texture is still unrivaled, and while there are noticeable nods to the mighty Smiths, they don’t sound the least bit tired or worn.
  8. The Line of Best Fit
    Oct 17, 2014
    70
    Playland then is an enjoyable rock record with occasional dips into complacency that are sometimes matched by its moments of bravado and energy.
  9. PopMatters
    Oct 16, 2014
    70
    Playland, whose songs were written roughly around the same time as The Messenger’s, can therefore be viewed as a companion piece. But it is an improvement too.
  10. Uncut
    Oct 2, 2014
    70
    Playland is pretty much "The Messenger Part 2." [Nov 2014, p.77]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. StevenX
    Dec 27, 2017
    9
    A worthy successor to his amazing album "The Messenger", Marr shows here that there's no fluke at play, as if his decades of stellar guitarA worthy successor to his amazing album "The Messenger", Marr shows here that there's no fluke at play, as if his decades of stellar guitar work with others didn't prove that already. While some songs have obvious precedents on the previous record - "Candidate" could easily have come from the same session as "New Town Velocity" from "The Messenger", and so on - the writing is right-on, and the cinematic production gives clear ear to every instrument, not least of which is Marr's voice, obviously happy to speak for himself for a change. As adept at joyful pop-rock like "Dynamo" as he is at the atmospherics of the aforementioned "Candidate" and the brilliant "The Trap", Marr's palette is broad enough to keep the greats coming within a pop framework he's working now. Looking forward to the next installment.… Full Review »
  2. Spoonman3068
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    "altecsole - I stumbled upon this on Spotify and decided the give it a go. What can I say? I love this album! The guitar sound is brilliant"altecsole - I stumbled upon this on Spotify and decided the give it a go. What can I say? I love this album! The guitar sound is brilliant and who knew Johnny could sing so well?" It's scary how close my experience of this album is to yours. Totally agree. Additive, great fun, **** brilliant!… Full Review »
  3. FIF
    Oct 7, 2014
    8
    Very solid solo effort from one of the greatest guitarists on planet Earth! His previous album, The Messenger was good too. He seems to beVery solid solo effort from one of the greatest guitarists on planet Earth! His previous album, The Messenger was good too. He seems to be very much alive and kicking!… Full Review »
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