The Beach Boys: The Beach Boys (Caribou)

ON THE back cover Brian Wilson looks genuinely happy, his eyes are clear, his smile is contented one. To some degree the music echoes this air of rejuvenation yet there is too much here that is merely mediocre, too many average songs all dressed up in candyfloss harmonies, all going nowhere. The warm Californian sun is still beating down on the rolling surf but nowadays The Beach Boys look like they’d prefer a round of golf. The music has aged gracefully but it does sound very old; echoes from another era.