Sun PK

Tinkly, sunshine-y, nothing-but-Fun-timey Pop -- with a capital "P" at least! Yep, there's lots of luscious background voices always going "ahhh" and "ba-ba," some whistling even, and damn -- I mean darn it -- You can even hear the (nice, clean) guitars trebly-high within the mix! True, like such great sound smiths as Lindsey Buckingham, it really needn't be the SONGS that are the stars here, as the instrumentation and especially arrangements provide never ever less than a bright, flawless sonic sheen throughout. Then it's all topped with lazy, happily-heartbreaking, work-a-day lyrics entirely worthy of a certain B. Wilson at his very best, sung in what sometimes veers close to actual Colin Blunstone breathiness. Why, the proceedings even close on a wonderfully apt touch-o-Buddy Holly: Oh Boy, as The Master Himself would say! Raspberry-fresh cotton candy for the ears -- and I mean that in the utmost complimentary way, I say. - In Music We Trust

“A real treat you may have missed is Sun's Inquire Within. A must for '60s soft-pop aficionados and/or those who miss the days of bright 'n' bubbly "feel good" music, this is squeaky clean sweetness from beginning to end, with nary a duff track to be heard. If tunes like "It's a Smiley Face World" and "I Didn't Have Time To Cry On Thursday" don't make you break out in a big 'ol goofy grin and sing along, then you just ain't livin'.” - Amplifier Magazine

“Could this be any happier an album? I mean, the first full song is actually entitled "It's A Smiley Face World," and come bearing loads of "la-la's” backed by, at various times, kazoos and a slide whistle.
Not so fast. In fact, Inquire Within can far more accurately be summed up with the phrase, "Screw you, life: I can be happy despite everything you've thrown at me." The origin of the lovely "My Baby Makes Me Feel So Good" is explained in the liner notes: "To my beautiful Monte for 18 years of companionship and the closest I've come to experiencing eternal love in the material world so far. After almost 11 years I finished writing (the song) just hours before you died...it is for you." The track "Lavender Lane" is dedicated "to everyone who watched me publicly struggle and flail through the muck of my life."
And, yet, despite whatever hardships Sun has suffered, Inquire Within is a wonderfully produced tribute to the breezy pop of the '60's (from the Association to the Cyrkle, even some early Bee Gees) with melodies as cheery as any theme song ever recorded for a Sid & Marty Krofft show. It's an unabashedly retro (if occasionally overly saccharine) experience, and a true testament to the healing power of music.” - NineVolt Magazine

Although this is not a new release, it is something that still deserves attention now. Released as Smiley Face World in Japan, Inquire Within is a 43-minute carousel ride. The actual track 'Smiley Face World' and 'The Puppet Master' with its catchy whistled refrain are the best songs Mark Wirtz never wrote - toytown fans will lap these up. Elsewhere the CD features strong, melodic pop such as 'Nowhere' and 'Bear Witness', which remind me of the pop magician The Resonars. The middle section of the disc is devoted to quieter, more intimate sounding numbers such as 'On & On Forever' and 'I Didn't Have Time To Cry On Thursday'. Sun's light breathy vocal style gently sits atop the music steering its harmonic direction. The final track 'Love Will Take Your Breath Away' is also a well constructed beauty and life affirming closer. All in all, this is something of a hidden gem in contemporary yet 60's centred pop and I get more from it with each play. - Shindig Magazine