In Brief
*** Marcy Playground, “Shapeshifter,” Capitol. Marcy Playground frontman John Wozniak has an appealingly warped take on the world that makes his dark whimsies sound like a lark. The band’s 1998 hit single “Sex and Candy” was lascivious yet guileless, with Wozniak’s acoustic guitar gently providing a blissed-out groove. The band’s latest album (due Tuesday) doesn’t have anything as instantly likable, but it provides more flavors than its predecessor. The guitars are a little louder and the melodies more forceful, but Wozniak’s sense of wonder is intact, which makes “Shapeshifter” a loopy pleasure. Marcy Playground plays Nov. 20 at the Mint and Nov. 23 at the Troubadour.
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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.
Hear the Music
* Excerpts from recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: http://161.35.110.226/soundclips
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