Johnny Marr announces 'atmospheric' new album Playland

Johnny Marr has revealed details of his new solo album Playland, calling it an "atmospheric" record.

Speaking to NME, Marr described it as a record that is heavily influenced by London, building various themes and motifs around the concept. It was recorded at the capital's Tritone studios exclusively, unlike the solo debut which was recorded in Berlin, New York and Manchester. It will be released the same time as new single 'Easy Money'

"The album's main themes are the atmosphere of the city," he told the magazine. "and the preoccupations of the people who live in them; those preoccupations being consumerism, sex and anxiety, or distraction and transcendence from those things." 

"It was deliberate to work in London," he added. "Where you work definitely affects how it sounds and seeps into the music, and I've developed a really good feeling for London in the past couple of years, I like the frenetic atmosphere."

Delving deeper into the concept behind the album, he also revealed that it contained autobiographical elements. '25 Hours' refers to escaping the life laid out before him by Catholic school, 'Dynamo' is about the effect buildings have on people, 'The Trap' draws out communication issues and 'Easy Money' talks about greed.