Freedom Wind

The Beach Boys are the obvious touchstone, but dig a bit deeper and you'll hear flourishes of Paul McCartney, The Byrds, Emitt Rhodes, ELO, and doo-wop. Embracing a pop blueprint from a time when great songs were played on the radio and everybody loved them all, The Explorers Club has recorded the sweetest pop record you're likely to hear this year. They're doing for summer beach song what Amy Winehouse has done for R&B or Sharon Jones for funk and soul; what Antibalas have done for Afro-beat. They're reclaiming the classics as their own, injecting them with life, and making music that transcends any era.