This was the debut album for Smokie, an English quartet who were a pet project for legendary English pop producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Their unique blend of country-rock and pop would soon make Smokie a big success in Europe, although their style comes off as tentative on Pass It Around. Nevertheless, the group's instrumental performance is tight and their Beach Boys-meet-Sweet vocal harmonies are quite pleasing to the ear, and echoes of the group that Smokie would eventually become shine through here and there: "Daydreamin'" works an infectious harmony-driven chorus into a likable guitar-fueled melody and the surprisingly complex arrangement of "Don't Turn Out Your Light" weaves serpentine guitar lines and a chorus built on escalating harmonies into a beguiling little pop tune. In the end, though, the inconsistent moments outweigh the solid tunes, and Pass It Around is best suited for the Smokie completist. [In 2016, Pass It Around was reissued in a remastered New Extended Edition featuring three bonus tracks.] ~ Donald A. Guarisco|

Rovi