Lunapark

Wareham told Salon that Maher was chosen for the dry natural sound of Lou Reed's New York, which he had produced, that the band wanted to avoid big wet 1980s drums, and that the sessions took about six weeks, roughly three times longer than any record he had made. Grasshopper plays electric guitar on three tracks, Mark Kramer piano and organ, and Maher acoustic guitar on "We're Both Confused". Wareham ranked it sixth of seven studio albums in 2016, saying he liked some of the record but did not feel they were really a band yet. AllMusic gave 4 of 5, the Village Voice an A-minus, Entertainment Weekly a B-plus; Trouser Press's Ira Robbins praised its graceful economy but faulted "I Want Everything" for borrowing the chords and melody of Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately". Run Out Groove reissued it as a deluxe double vinyl in January 2023.