There’s been a lot of noise about the new Beach Boys in town, and it is simultaneously so much more than that and not much more at all. To be sure, The Explorers Club [Official Site, MySpace] is channeling Brian and crew to a tee, but the accuracy with which they do it while still retaining a knack for original songcraft is uncanny. However this six-piece is more than just a copy cat of a forty year old phenomenon; they let their other influences shine as well. For all the indie kids secretly pining for a new Beach Boys record they can be proud of, Freedom Wind is that album.

“Forever” captures the attention immediately, with Neil’s drums doing a perfect rendition of Billy Joel’s “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” opening beats (to be fair, Liberty DeVito probably ganked them from elsewhere, as well). From the first strains, one hears the ingenious meshing of 50’s Doo-Wop with folk sensibilities and The Beatles – - ok, The Beach Boys. The harmonies are unmistakable, but unavoidably catchy. The vocals on “Honey, I Don’t Know Why” recall the gruffness of Tom Waits without overpowering the tune itself, and climaxes in a solid indie solo ala James Mercer. The gentle layering of indie power pop guitar over the trademark Boys’ sound was a huge call, and one that pays off on Freedom Wind. In fact, tracks like “Do You Love Me” will fit on any power pop mix next to Jordan Zevon or Candyskins, not necessarily because they particularly sound like them, but because its innovation in the field is entirely noteworthy. “Safe Distance” comes in slow and pretty, and the backup vocals for the rest of the record seem to skip on past the Beach Boys and move straight on to All-4-One. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. The title track is a solid closer to the album, with a bit of Flaming Lips inspired bass line from Wally reminding us this band is actually aware of its temporal geography, and is here to stay.

There is a haunting aspect to these tunes (check out our review of their latest NYC show here) most notably on album highlight “If You Go”, that combines modern western dialects and predilection with proto-classic rock and roll, a laid back approach to early surf rock that even the Boys never pulled off and that should leave the listener with happy chills. Even if you don’t particularly love the Beach Boys this record is worth every second of listening, if only to hear this kind of sound with impeccable production values. The theme here is the joy of being in love, transient or permanent. Either way one falls instantly in love with the album on first listen, and can’t help but notice the timeliness of its release. It is summer! Bring your stereo to the beach and revel in the season with The Explorers Club!

Score: 4 out of 5

Check out our review of The Explorers Club performance

Last 5 posts by Mark Hurley

• Kong are in it for the "Sport" - July 10th, 2009
• The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage Preview - January 26th, 2009
• Phosphorescent - To Willie Review - January 22nd, 2009
• Dungen - 4 Review - December 6th, 2008
• Mother Mother - O My Heart Review - July 28th, 2008