this is not pitchfork

I know, everybody loves Pet Sounds. Greatest album ever. Most influential album in the history of the world. Artistic genius. Whatever. That album contains the song Sloop John B., and for as long as I live, that song will make me want to hunt down my 4th grade chorus instructor and strangle her with a mainsail.

So here we have Surfer Girl. The Beach Boys I know and love. The Beach Boys that were simple fun that made me think my teenage years would be just like something out of Archie comics. This is what teenagers did, right? They surfed, they drove hot rods, they fell in love, broke up and fell in love again. It didn’t matter that I had no desire to actually surf. I just wanted to get to that age where everything was malt shops and beaches and the fun never stopped. The Beach Boys distorted my view of what those years would actually be like. Man, was I disappointed when we had our first beach party and there wasn’t a surf board in sight and it was cold, windy and I was picking sand out of my ass for three days after. But there was beer and there was a bonfire and we played this cassette in Tim’s decidedly non-hot rod car on the way to the party.

The best thing about this album is it’s always summer in mind when I hear it. Even now, when it’s 15 degrees outside and the streets are lined with a thin layer of ice, in my head, I’m about to catch a wave.

Favorite song: Little Deuce Coupe
The Beach Boys complete guide