Being lead guitarist in a successful band can be a frustrating experience - while you're stuck in the studio doing most of the hard work, it's the singer who's out there grabbing all the media attention. So while Morrissey enjoyed a high-profile career after the demise of The Smiths, it's taken his sidekick Johnny Marr a full 16 years to get around to making his first solo album. Still, expectations are high for his new band The Healers, on which he assumes vocal duties, backed by former Kula Shaker bassist Alonzo Bevan and Zak Starkey (Ringo's son) on drums. Surprisingly, however, the resultant sound is reminiscent of almost every Manchester band other than The Smiths - baggy Stone Roses grooves underpin Marr's distinctive jangle, while his bluesy vocals are strikingly similar to Tim Burgess of The Charlatans. Elsewhere there are funky beats, lengthy guitar solos and some disappointingly juvenile Oasis-style lyrics that will surely horrify Morrissey when he gets around to hearing them. Boomslang is not exactly a bad album - but due to the fact that Marr never really stamps his own personality on proceedings, it can't help but feel like something of a missed opportunity.
