The Explorers Club surprised many people in 2008 when they released their first album, Freedom Wind. They were quite amazing with their Beach Boys Pop. The band’s main songwriter Jason Brewer deconstructed the Brian Wilson music and reassembled it from the inside. The Explorers Club didn’t just pay tribute to California, but recreated the sound with a new, fresh perspective.
The band’s second album, the Grand Hotel, released in 2012 was a huge success. It incorporated influences as diverse as Sunshine Pop and early 1970s Soft Pop.
Together is their 2016 album. It focuses on Californian sound. It was indeed another triumph.
After three Pop feasts that were uplifting, the fans wondered, “Where is The Explorers Club going next?”
We now know the answer. The Explorers Club, with Brewer at the helm as well as a constantly changing cast of musicians has decided to go the “covers” album route. Hold on… they’ve released an entire album of original music. Sorry, but it’s definitely a “covers” album. And an original album! You’re right, Pop Kids – we have TWO albums from The Explorers Club!
The group’s covers album to Sing and Be Born Again, as well as their fourth original album The Explorers Club are both magical pieces of Pop music. Both look back to their pasts for inspiration, and march into the future determined and with purpose.
These albums will be studied and listened to for many years. They feature musical contributions from Matt Goldman and Shana Tutmarc as well as Chase Johnson, Johnathan Pushkar and Probyn Gregory.
The first is The Explorers Club. This album marks their fourth overall. The Explorers Club takes you to new levels and challenges their “masterpiece” Grand Hotel. It is influenced by The Beach Boys’ harmonies, but also explores Sunshine Pop and Soft Pop. The album contains a variety of influences, from The Turtles through Gary Usher to Curt Bouettcher. It’s music that comes from the heart. Each harmony, each chord change and every musical twist is important. These songs will comfort you, make you feel warm and are full of musical signs that can help them to’sound familiar’ but also be exciting and new. It’s like seeing an old friend for the first. Today’s highlight films include “One Drop Of Rain”, Dawn, “Look To The Horizon”, Mysteries and “Say You Will”. Those highlights, however, change every day.
To be honest, I don’t like ‘covers albums’, but I wouldn’t have known about this one. It’s just as good as the original releases. To Sing and Be Born Again takes ’60s Pop Classics such as “She’d Much Rather Be with Me”, “This Guy Is in Love With You”, Kicks, and “The Mighty Quinn”, and gives them a new lease of life.
Brewer, the band and their interpretations aren’t too different from the original versions. However, they manage to bring them back into the present. These melodies dance in the air like the very first time they were heard, some 50+ year ago. The former Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page is as good as ever in a cover of Orpheus ‘Can’t Find The Time’. Jay Gonzalez‘s drive-by truckers‘s the Lovin’ Spoonful‘s song “Didn’t want to have to do it” is sung with a powerful vocal. Jason, along with the rest of the Explorers, also provide some amazing vocals. You may be like me, who avoids ‘covers albums’. But you should open your heart and mind to this album.
Buy these albums, friends. These releases are available as CDs, Vinyl LPs, or digital downloads.