Songs from wonder.land (Original Cast Recording)
Songs from wonder.land (Original Cast Recording)
Damon Albarn
(Parlophone Records)
Confession: I am not normally a big fan of musicals, but Iâve been enraptured with Damon Albarnâs creative output since his days in Blur. The past year has seen the debut of the play wonder.land, which reimagines Alice in Wonderland as an online RPG. Albarn composed the music for the play, while the lyrics were all composed by playwright Moira Buffini.
Songs from wonder.land is intriguing because it doesnât contain every song from the musical, and the tracklist doesnât mimic the running order either. This makes the soundtrack its own entity. Occasionally this can be limiting if you arenât familiar with the story of the play, but for the most part, this album stands on its own as a fascinating glimpse into a teenage girl seeking an escape from her family drama.
âEntre Actâ is reminiscent of the brief instrumental tracks that pop up in Blurâs early work, particularly âIntermissionâ and âLot 105.â This contrasts well with the frenetic âwonder.land,â which has a rock edge that offsets main character Alyâs desire to be anyone but herself under her circumstances. A few songs later, âSecretsâ spells out her angst: the fact that sheâs revealed her fatherâs gambling problem to her mother, creating a rift between her parents. The poppy, gentle âEveryone Loves Charlieâ expands upon her jealousy of her baby brother.
Of course, the characters of the wonder.land RPG feature on the record as well. In âFabulous,â the Cheshire Cat compels Aly to lose herself to an online world, and the synth line of âAlice Sawâ links back to this song later on to grand effect. âAvatars Holding Pageâ is an amusing view into players trying to figure out the game. It would have been nice to have more narrative to follow the play, but as it stands, Songs from wonder.land is a satisfying consolation piece for anyone who couldnât make it to London or Paris to see the play itself.