Johnny Marr Announces Second Solo Album

Fans of the Smiths had to wait three decades for the first solo album by legendary guitarist Johnny Marr, but they won't have to wait nearly as long for the second.

Marr announced he'll release his sophomore solo album, 'Playland,' on Oct. 7. Featuring 11 songs that "move at the speed of life," Marr said the album is rooted heavily in the bustling British setting where it was recorded. "It's important to sound like your environment and on this record that's London and Manchester,” he said in a press release. “The feeling of the cities and the people make it into the music."

Marr again enlisted producer Doviak, who also helmed his 2013 debut, 'The Messenger,' and worked with the same backing band that accompanied him on the ensuing tour. He said he began writing 'Playland' as soon as he returned to London. "I liked that the band had a momentum going on tour and a connection with the audience," he said. "I thought that energy would be good to capture on the new record."

The title of the album was inspired by the 1938 book, 'Homo Iudens,' by influential Dutch cultural theorist Johan Huizinga which examines the concept of play as an integral facet of cultural development.

Meanwhile, here's the video for the title track of his debut album: