Produced by frontman John Wozniak, Shapeshifter was recorded at Sabella Studios in Roslyn Heights, New York, and mixed at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver;[6] Wozniak ended up buying and renovating the latter venue.[7][8][9] The majority of the songs had been in the band's live set for years.[10]
The album cover artwork is by Mark Ryden.[11] It was originally commissioned for the Butthole Surfers, from an idea by their guitarist Paul Leary; Marcy Playground were unaware of its origins when they chose it for Shapeshifter.[12][13]
Entertainment Weekly thought that "Wozniak’s winsome lyrics set the trio above other alterna-pop hopefuls."[16]Rolling Stone determined that "rather than build on the promise of Marcy Playground's amateurish fun, the boys cling too tightly to watered-down grunge riffs."[18] The Los Angeles Times concluded that "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."[17]The Sydney Morning Herald noted that "'Rebel Sodville' includes one of the longest sustained high notes this side of Jeff Buckley."[19]
The Boston Globe stated that Wozniak "writes inviting melodies that slide smoothly between folk-rock and electric hard-rock peaks."[20]The Age wrote that "Shapeshifter actually rocks out from time to time, with the Gothic ballad 'All the Lights Went Out' crashing out in true arena epic style."[21] The Edmonton Journal deemed the album "doleful, dotty rock," writing that it is "nowhere near as lethargic as Marcy's first disc."[15]
AllMusic wrote that "this faceless alternapop trio tosses together more harmless songs that don't have much to say yet manages to lumber along anyway."[14]
.jpg)
