Gary Lewis and The Playboys hit their stride in the mid-sixties as reliable purveyors of infectious pop-rock, and "The Loser (With A Broken Heart)" from 1967 captures that winning formula perfectly. The A-side delivers the kind of polished, radio-friendly melody the group had perfected by this point—upbeat instrumentation wrapped around a wistful vocal about romantic disappointment, the sort of emotional contradiction that defined much of the era's best pop records. On the flip, "Ice Melts In The Sun" offers another chance to hear the band's tight arrangements and earnest delivery. Released on Liberty, this 45 sits comfortably within that sweet spot where mid-sixties pop rock still carried real melodic weight and genuine instrumental craft, before the decade's sonic adventurousness left such straightforward approaches behind.