Tony Clayton-Lea on music: Johnny Marr’s new double album encourages experimentation, and for the listener it’s a chance to luxuriate in that

POP/ROCK: Johnny Marr, Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 (BMG)

When you’re as famous a guitar player as Johnny Marr, the primary obstacles to be avoided include presumption and expectation. He has had “a vocabulary of sound” for many years, he says, and regards his new double album as a culmination of its development. Marr isn’t too far wide of the mark – from his viewpoint the length encourages experimentation, and for the listener it’s a chance to luxuriate in that. He’s a smart cookie, though, presenting an adventurous sonic palette that doesn’t for a minute deny his legacy. ****