When Brian Wilson started to play a bigger role in the Beach Boys, in the mid-to-late 1960s, the albums had more original tunes, less of a fixation on a beachy image, a noticeable increase in the complexity of harmonies, and a larger focus on orchestration.
It’s fitting that Wilson is now mixing the style he perfected with the group’s early lyrical themes. His latest release, That Lucky Old Sun, features lush symphonics, another well-developed song cycle, and a nostalgic view on Wilson’s long-time home of California.
That sunny nostalgia appears right from the get-go—the title track is a cover of one of Wilson’s favorite childhood songs (“That Lucky Old Sun” was originally recorded in 1949). The piece’s lyrical content also seems fitting coming from a much older Wilson, tinged with an envious look at youth.
These themes recur frequently throughout the album, though not quite so obliquely. “Forever My Surfer Girl,” whose title references an early (Wilson-penned) Beach Boys single, features a more mature look at his “surfer girl” than Wilson offered back in 1963.
The recurrence of these themes gives an excellent overarching unity to the album, but that doesn’t guarantee that every track will be great. “Good Kind of Love” is initially appealing, but quickly (i.e. before the end of one listen) grows tiresome. Similarly, “Mexican Girl,” though musically impressive (incorporating an excellent use of mariachi stylings), features a number of grimace-inducing lines like “hey bonita muchacha/ don’t you know that I want’cha.”
Still, this is nothing new for Wilson fans; even his best work has a difficult time under a microscope. And even with this in mind, the album doesn’t come close to the heights that Wilson reached on his two best works, Pet Sounds and Smile. Still, it’s a Brian Wilson album, and sure to please fans of his good old sound.
Voice’s Choices: “That Lucky Old Sun,” “Forever My Surfer Girl”
