How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Unmemorable
Value for Money
Advantages:
When in the right mood, a few of the tracks could be mildly entertaining .
Disadvantages:
Depressing and monotonous .
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
Some of you may remember the MTV show 'Up For It' with Eddy Temple-Morris and Zane Lowe. As well as call-in sections and the usual comedy stunts, they showed live performances by bands that were supposedly about to break into the commercial scene. As far as I can remember, not many bands actually made it. Marcy Playground, along with Drugstore and Headswim, stayed firmly on the brink of mainstream.
‘Sex and Candy’ their first and only single released from this eponymous album is the definite standout track. Although quite beautiful compared to the other tracks, it is not really anything special. The song has a much softer feel to it than say ‘Saint Joe on the School Bus’ which, according to the sleeve, ‘is about being picked on’. However, I think it speaks for itself and wonder why that is the only track to be explained.
The 12-track album is constantly depressing (‘One More Suicide’, ‘Saint Joe on the School Bus’ and ‘The Vampires in New York’ among them) and you cannot help but assume what kind of childhood John Wozniak (singer and songwriter) had and if ‘Saint Joe on the School Bus’ is autobiographical.
In general, the album grows on you but it never really flourishes and two years after its purchase, it still sounds quite depressing and uneventful. The lyrics are somewhat tame and the guitar riffs uninspiring. My advice is to buy the single ‘Sex and Candy’ but I would leave the album alone.
£7.99
More details
How does it rate alongside the competition
Unmemorable
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Satisfactory
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of rocks for Halloween instead of sweets. Fortunately, Wozniak used his childhood ostracism as the inspiration and fuel to write charmingly quirky pop songs. Wozni...
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