Flowers in the Afternoon: Late-1960s Sunshine arrives as the third entry in Craft Recording’s psych/garage RSD trilogy. Where Poppies leaned into fuzzed-out oddities and Double Whammy played in Nuggets-style garage grit, this new installment zeroes in on that brief cultural moment when harmony, melody, and AM-radio optimism collided. Framed around producer and archivist Alec Palao’s deep-crate sensibility, and packaged for Black Friday collectors on “Sunshine” orange translucent vinyl limited to 3,300 copies, the set feels both lovingly curated and historically pointed. Palao’s accompanying essay helps emphasize that this isn’t nostalgia for its own sake, but a snapshot of how the late ’60s sounded to listeners who wanted light rather than fire.
The opening track sets that tone clearly with Rick McClellan’s previously unheard “Frozen Sunshine,” a song that lives right in the middle of being wistful, tuneful, and lightly psychedelic without losing its pop core. The Catch’s “I Feel Wonderful” follows with a sing-along bounce that could’ve easily sat on a regional radio playlist, while Erik’s “Georgeann” brings a more introspective edge, its chiming guitars wrapping around a sturdy melody. “(It’s A) Love-In” by The Rock N’ Roll Gypsies supplies the set’s most overt counterculture wink, a jaunty snapshot of flower-power idealism. One of the compilation’s emotional anchors arrives midway through with Mimi Fariña’s unreleased “Flowers in the Afternoon.” The writing is subtle, the vocal unforced, and the arrangement airy enough to float; it’s a reminder that Mimi’s work, often overshadowed by her sister Joan Baez’s towering legacy, carries its own clear, thoughtful charm.
The Youngfolk keep the mood lifted on “Mary Said,” and The Honey Jug’s “Warm City Baby” injects some welcome rhythmic warmth. This Generation’s “The Children Have Your Tongue” offers a more idiosyncratic structure; still catchy, but with a rhythmic left turn that shows the fringe edges of sunshine pop. Inner Dialogue’s “Yesterday the Dog” veers into off-kilter folk-pop and The NJ Orange’s “Pretty Sunshine Girl” lands squarely in that middle ground of melody-forward, radio-ready charm. Closing with Jeff Monn’s “Walking Around in Your Disguise,” the compilation ends with something more grounded. Serving as a sign of sunshine pop moving toward the singer-songwriter introspection that would soon take over the early ’70s.
As an entry in Craft’s trilogy, Flowers in the Afternoon succeeds because it treats sunshine pop as a vital corner of ’60s pop craft. The sequencing is thoughtful, the rarities feel genuinely illuminating, and the previously unreleased tracks earn their marquee billing. Craft’s mastering gives these late-’60s recordings a clarity they rarely enjoy on original pressings. The acoustic guitars ring cleanly, stacked harmonies sit naturally in the mix, and even the more obscure source tapes feel warm rather than worn. Fans of 60s pop music would do well to pick this one up this RSD Black Friday.
