Eternity's Children

While Eternity's Children lacked the consistency and originality to assume a spot in the pantheon of true sunshine pop greats, they also deserve far more than mere footnote status -- assembling their two studio LPs and a handful of singles, Rev-Ola's definitive retrospective not only posits the group for reappraisal, but proves that their finest moments rank alongside anything in the soft pop canon. Although the presence of producer Curt Boettcher guarantees comparisons to like-minded (but more commercially successful) acts like the Association and Sagittarius, Eternity's Children's lush, overlapping harmonies were all their own, and their songs cut an impressive swath of stylistic territory, from the gorgeous, bossa nova-like "My Happiness Day" to the gritty blue-eyed soul of the Chips Moman-produced "The Sidewalks of the Ghetto." Some of their material was certainly suspect -- songs like "Sunshine Among Us" and "Get Outta Here" strive unconvincingly for psychedelic-era edginess, while "The Thinking Animal" is an embarrassing stab at social relevance -- but the good far outweighs the bad, and cuts like "Mrs. Bluebird," "Your World," "Again Again," and "Sunshine and Flowers" are essential listening for anyone enamored with the West Coast harmony-pop sound. ~ Jason Ankeny