Album Details

• Artist: The Explorer's Club
• Album: Freedom Wind
• Label: Dead Oceans
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: lekwon on 2008-07-27

The 1960’s: the youth culture was loud and proud, large and in charge. Specifically, The Beach Boys brought some fun to this very active decade with their highly likeable pop sounds.

Fast forward a few decades and we have The Explorer’s Club, a group of men who just want to bring some fun back into the current ‘apathetic’ generation. Their debut album “Freedom Wind” relives the Beach Boys’ happy-go-lucky rock of the 1960’s almost perfectly. Hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, The Explorer’s Club proves that there does not need to be California surf to be inspired to make such music.

The band’s classic influences indeed make them stand out from the current slew of music that is being released. The band’s inspirations all come from previous icons and big names that defined prior decades. Apart from surf rock, doo-wop is another obvious influence in tracks such as “Honey, I Don’t Know Why,” where the vocals range in capabilities. Horns are also intermittently played in a few tracks, which highlight the classic sounds that were so prominent in the earlier generations.

The one aspect that ties all the songs together is the pitch-perfect harmony. No matter how subtle it can be, the harmony ultimately creates the vibe to each song. For example, the strong background vocals behind the opener “Forever” gives the tune a melancholy twinge, as with the airy croon of “Lost My Head.”

Towards the closing of their album, the songs get a lot slower. The lazy vibe is a solid turn from the opening of “Freedom Wind,” which began with tracks that initially gave the album much promise and enjoyment.

The Explorer’s Club gives a big nostalgic hurrah to the oldies. As much as it is a very approachable summer soundtrack, the times are indeed changing and looking far into the future. Whether the world is ready for a walk down memory lane is ambiguous, but perhaps a listen to “Freedom Wind” will alter some progressive minds.

User Reviews and Comments

on 2008-08-02 SolitaryMan Said:

I consider myself a progressive mind, but that's never stopped me from enjoying the classics or a wide variety of "retro" groups like this. The songs I've heard (myspace) are all like going back in time, they really do a great job of recreating that doo-wop sound the Beach Boys were tooling with, and find little ways to let you know you're listening to a modern production at the same time. Great stuff, I'll have to get this album.
Not Rated