Track listing
1. Poppies
2. Sex and Candy
3. Ancient Walls of Flowers
4. Saint Joe on the School Bus
5. Cloak of Elvenkind, A
6. Sherry Fraser
7. Gone Crazy
8. Opium
9. One More Suicide
10. Dog and His Master
11. Shadow of Seattle, The
12. Vampires of New York, The
Details
Producer: John Wozniak
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution
Recording type: Studio
Recording mode: Stereo
SPAR Code: n/a
Album notes
Personnel: John Wozniak (vocals, guitar); Jen Handler (cello); Jared Kotler (bass, drums); Glen Braver, Edgar Mills, Dylan Keefe (bass); Dan Rieser (drums).
Recorded at Sabella Recording Studios, Roslyn, New York.
Like Everclear's Art Alexakis, Marcy Playground singer/songwriter/mastermind John Wozniak is clearly indebted to the musical legacy of Kurt Cobain. The best of Wozniak's songs, the standouts on Marcy Playground's self-titled debut, not only evoke Nirvana's sound--heavenly, minor-key melodies, transformed into thorny alterna-pop by a stripped-down, punky three-piece--but Kurt's metaphor-minded, playful yet emotionally intense viewpoint. And where Alexakis sticks to "real life" narratives that peg him a traditional singer/songwriter high on grunge, Wozniak brandishes history lessons ("Poppies"), descents into druggy deliriums ("Ancient Walls of Flowers"), and re-dreams a dreadful pre-adolescence ("Saint Joe on the School Bus") in order to paint a much wider portrait. More often than not, the sinful deviance of the subculture that is Wozniak's natural habitat rises out of his catchy, radio-friendly tunes--"Sex & Candy" being a prime example--making for the kind of slightly dangerous pop rush that is rarely offered in alterna-land.
Editorial reviews
7 (out of 10) - ...What is surprising is how enjoyable this window on Wozniak's soul is: his lazy drawl and gentle melodies coating his misery in a pop sheen....the mood remains resolutely downbeat but the angst is not imposing...
New Musical Express (05/23/1998)
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