Eclection - Eclection (1968) (Expanded Edition, 2011)

Eclection's sole album is very much a period piece of its era, albeit an attractive and at times intriguing one. At root this is slightly melancholy folk-rock with a strong Californian influence, particularly in the blends of six-string and twelve-strings, of acoustic and electric guitars, and of male and female vocal harmonies. What sets this off slightly from the Seekers and the Mamas and the Papas is the ornate production by Ossie Byrne, and particularly the pseudo-baroque orchestral arrangements by Phil Dennys. It's also set off somewhat from the most commercial Californian pop-folk-rock by the slightly spacy, psychedelic aura of the lyrics, even if the sentiments are about as misty dew-eyed as they come in folk-rock. The harmonies can't fail to bring to mind a cross between the Seekers, early Jefferson Airplane, We Five, and Mamas and the Papas, particularly due to female singer Kerrilee Male's strong, earnest pipes. The record's chief flaw is that the all-original material, while sometimes extremely pleasant, fails to stick in the craw, causing one's attention to drift somewhat over the course of the disc. It's also true that the arrangements get a little too inappropriately fruity at times. It's still a nice listen, some songs making more of an impression than others, such as "Nevertheless," which might have had some hit potential.