Brian Wilson: "Gettin' In Over My Head"

After his triumphant resurrection as a live performer, Brian Wilson has released his first new studio album of the millennium. His recent concerts have been built around meticulous recreations of Pet Sounds and Smile, albums that he wrote in the 1960s before he famously “lost it” for the best part of three decades. But does he still have the harmonies? Can he still write a hook?

The opening track, How Can We Still Be Dancin’, gives us our answer. The a cappella harmonies, melody and bouncing piano rhythm are all classic Beach Boys, and not even Elton John hijacking the main vocal can spoil the warm glow. Yet though the 13 songs here have never been released and are freshly recorded, it swiftly becomes apparent that not all are new. Next up is Soul Searchin’, one of the handful of “new” songs that Wilson has been playing in concert. The giveaway is that it features the voice of his brother, Carl Wilson, who died in 1998. Four of the tracks date from a 1995 session with the producer Andy Paley, while City Blues (which features Eric Clapton on guitar) is apparently a recycled reject from the 1980s. This leaves five genuinely new compositions.

Does it matter? Not really. Let’s just rejoice in the way Wilson references the Beach Boys’ endless summer era on songs such as You’ve Touched Me, Desert Drive and Don’t Let Her Know She’s an Angel. Even if some of the songs are slight, there is sufficient residue of Wilson’s genius to allow him to turn throwaway doodles into minor symphonic pop masterpieces.

While Elton John and Paul McCartney sound like sad old men, Wilson still sounds as though he’s getting ready for the high school prom.

Nigel Williamson

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