There’s a reason why the light-spirited mood conjured up by That Lucky Old Sun will bring Brian Wilson’s legendary Smile project to mind; he’s once again teamed up with lyricist Van Dyke Parks (current Wilson bandmate Scott Bennett also shares lyricist duties). And the results are telling. In contrast to 2004’s lackluster Gettin’ In Over My Head (Wilson last new studio album), on this outing Wilson sounds fully engaged as he delivers what’s essentially a love letter to California, while poignantly referring to his own myth in the process.Label: RHINO
[Rating: 4]
Videos by American Songwriter
There’s a reason why the light-spirited mood conjured up by That Lucky Old Sun will bring Brian Wilson’s legendary Smile project to mind; he’s once again teamed up with lyricist Van Dyke Parks (current Wilson bandmate Scott Bennett also shares lyricist duties). And the results are telling. In contrast to 2004’s lackluster Gettin’ In Over My Head (Wilson last new studio album), on this outing Wilson sounds fully engaged as he delivers what’s essentially a love letter to California, while poignantly referring to his own myth in the process. With a short version of the title track (originally performed by Louis Armstrong) serving as an overture, each song on the album segues neatly into the next, broken up by occasional spoken-word interludes. “Good Kind of Love” is the kind of track The Beach Boys would’ve taken into the Top 10 back in the day, while “Midnight’s Another Day” and “Goin’ Home” reveal how Wilson emerged from his personal darkness into the light.
