A new album from the “Sex and Candy” guys in 2009? Mama, this surely is a dream. Only here’s the thing – it isn’t an entirely unpleasant one. Even for listeners who rejected the band’s sole big hit out of hand, and aren’t interested in ‘90s nostalgia besides, the new Leaving Wonderland…in a Fit of Rage should prove a pleasant surprise, mixing head Playgrounder John Wozniak’s chief strengths (specifically, Cobain-influenced folk grunge balladry and lyrics that fly cheerfully in the face of reason) with a sunnier, more fleshed-out sound – not to mention plenty of hooks. The band – or what’s left of it, anyway; this was originally supposed to be a Wozniak solo effort, before more commercially oriented heads prevailed – can still sometimes sound like they’ve been listening to too much Stone Temple Pilots, as on “Devil Woman,” but for the most part, Wonderland presents a picture of a songwriter who has evolved far beyond the sound that made him famous. Some tracks, like the mildly dance-y “Star Baby,” or “Gin and Money,” with its sampled shuffle beat and slinky, circular rhythm, sound so far removed from “Sex and Candy” that it’s a little hard to believe they’re the work of the same guy. Heck, “I Must Have Been Dreaming” even swings a little. Marcy Playground’s commercial moment has passed, but for the faithful – or anyone willing to take a chance on the post-platinum musings of a one-hit wonder – this is a surprisingly solid little pop record. (Woz 2009)
