The Cyrkle's debut was a pleasant, if marginal, album, blending a light folk-rock flavor with fluffy pop/rock production and songwriting. "Red Rubber Ball" and the follow-up hit, "Turn-Down Day," were, as one might expect, by far the best cuts. The rest was split between group originals and odds and ends from an assortment of other writers, including a cover of the
Paul Simon-Bruce Woodley composition "Cloudy" that predated its appearance on
Simon & Garfunkel's
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme album later in 1966. On the whole, it's feel-good and not terribly deep 1966 pop/rock, heavy on the breezy harmonies, occasionally using mild touches of experimentation, like the sitar on "Turn-Down Day," and inventively reverbed guitars. The 2001 CD reissue on Sundazed adds eight bonus tracks, including four 1966 outtakes and four from 1967-1968 singles. There's also a "hidden" bonus track, unlisted on the sleeve, of a vintage interview given by the band. ~ Richie Unterberger