Pitchfork

Hearing the Explorer Club's "Last Kiss" for the first time last summer was a bit of a shock. Indie bands drawing inspiration from the Beach Boys is nothing new-- based on his press, you could be forgiven for thinking Panda Bear's first name was Brian-- but no band this side of Murray Wilson's Sunrays had taken their devotion to the sound to such an extreme. One thing that set them apart was that the Explorers Club channeled the pre-Pet Sounds era, before the drugs, sandboxes, firemen's hats, teenage symphonies to god, and everything else that makes the "cracked genius" persona of Brian Wilson so compelling. They even had their own Mike Love to sing the low parts. Here was a harmony-drenched guitar-pop tune with an innocence that seemed almost absurd in 2007, and with a cheerful retro obsession that seemed to dare listeners to call the band out on it.

Well, it's eight months later, and not a whole lot has changed. The Explorers Club debut is due on Dead Oceans in March (that label has some range), and lead single "Do You Love Me?", released early to coincide with Valentine's Day, picks up where "Last Kiss" left off. While the stripped-down opening verse is a bit naked and exposes some weaknesses in the singing, the towering chorus arrives soon enough to reassure. Someone in the office pointed out some structural similarities to 15 Big Ones "It's OK", a track found on last year's Warmth of the Sun compilation, which suggests the Explorers Club's spin on the Beach Boys' catalogue may focus on the more wide-eyed extremes, before and after the psychedelic years.

MP3:> The Explorers Club: "Do You Love Me"
[from Freedom Wind; due 03/20/08; also from the "Do You Love Me" 7"; due 04/04/08; both on Dead Oceans]