Marr makes a name for himself with latest

Since The Smiths broke up over a decade ago, it might seem obvious to say that Johnny Marr has disappeared from the pop-rock scene. But then, he was always taken for granted and hidden somewhere in the shadow of the other immeasurably influential bandmate Morrissey (well, if not hidden in his shadow, then definitely somewhere in his hair). Though he's an excellent sideman and easily as important to the bands he's worked with as a lyricist, Marr has never had to take on the frontman role. Boomslang carries on in his tradition of layering gentle acoustic strums under a variety of modern electric instruments, especially guitars and synth programming, used more to punctuate the music than machismo. The Marr/Morrissey combination worked so well because both musicians have such distinct voices. By taking on all three of these duties, singer/songwriter/guitarist Marr allows himself to be perfectly in tune with the ideas he wants to convey. But unfortunately, like so many singers of the past decade, he just doesn't have the voice or lyrics to stand out here like he does as a guitarist. One half of a great team is, well, just above average.