Blond

Blond's sole album is grinning, Anglo-fied pop/rock — almost with a transatlantic feel at times, so accomplished and slick is the execution — that might appeal to fans of early Badfinger, the late-'60s Easybeats and Hollies, and more esoteric cult faves like the Idle Race. The accent is on the "might appeal," because Blond really didn't have as strong an identity as any of those groups. Also, their material wasn't as good as the best songs recorded by the Swedish group they grew out of, Tages. It's pleasant, artfully produced, late-'60s British-styled pop/rock with a touch of the Baroque (plenty of orchestration) and psychedelic, but not much sticks in the memory banks. Certainly the best track is "The Lilac Years," a rather out-of-character, moody epic with classical-influenced organ. When the good-timey vibe is leavened by some melancholy here and there in other spots, as on "I'll Bring You Flowers" (which has more of that early Procol Harum/late Zombies-type organ), the results are again more fetching and affecting.