Wonder Boy Plus reissues the Aluminum Group's self-released 1995 debut album along with ten bonus tracks; although all of the basic lyrical and musical ingredients that made the subsequent Plano such a treat are in place, it's a curiously enervated record that simply never achieves the majestic peaks of its follow-up. By and large, the material is much more campy than the Navin brothers' subsequent work, ranging from the catty "That Fossil You Call Your Lover" to the worshipful "Come Back Miss Battle" (about famed soprano Kathleen); there's even a delicate rendition of the Guns N' Roses classic "Sweet Child o' Mine." What's lacking is Plano's emotional depth and resonance, as well as its sleek, sophisticated production; Aluminum Group fans will still want Wonder Boy Plus, of course -- it's hardly a bad record -- but it's an inferior substitute for the excellence to follow. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide