If you read Brian Wilson's biography Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story with Todd Gold you'll soon realize the tumultous relationship Wilson had with his father Murry. The pop genius recalls that as an eight-year-old he would watch his father's fingers on the piano and map out the chords in his mind. Despite this pivotal musical influence Murray 'was a tyrant,' who 'abused [his sons] psychologically and physically.'Where his brothers chased after food and other sundry activities to cope Brian longed to learn piano but was too frightened to ask his father. As he recounts in the biography "playing the piano... literally saved my ass. I recall playing one time while my dad flung Dennis against the wall... That was just one of many incidents when I didn't miss a note, supplying background music to the hell that often substituted for a family life..."So many years after the atomic pop opus that was Pet Sounds comes The Explorers Club's Freedom Wind - just another band in the long line of bands to grasp and grope at some of The Beach Boy's long-standing pop brilliance. Sometimes the bitch goddess Irony wields a razor-sharp sword. Though Wilson's joy in his music came from his unrelenting task of escaping the demon's of his past The Explorer's Club want to steep themselves in their forebears - namely any sound The Beach Boys made after All Summer Long.That loving adulation comes across on the old school typography on the cover (a vertical variation on All Summer Long's cover). A pristine summer aura permeates the series of candid snaps mounted onto a montage. There’s even a worn mark from an old 12" on the top of the cover - how quaint. As far as Freedom Wind its stuck in the age of Wilson's life before his personal and professional struggles propelled into chaos in December of 1966. If this review is starting to sound like a sly biography and love letter to Brian Wilson your not far off what The Explorers Club set out to do.Wind includes three of the four tracks on the band's initial EP, and it almost lives up to what that release started. If you love The Beach Boys and want other groups to just shut up and admit they are just masking their failed attempts at creating Pet Sounds you'll fall in love with the earnestness of pop songs like "Forever," "Don't Forget the Sun," and "Lost My Head."On the latter we get throw-back studio banter and plenty of tremolo guitar. Any of these songs cast their eyes on those lovely harmonies and playful organ that so many Beach Boys' songs had down to a tee. Its a hard album to critique because the one pole of your brain cries "they're just a poor substitute for the real deal." Then there's that part of you that can't help smiling to the over-the-top lilt to the break-up song "Hold Me Tight." The anachronistic mention of "been steady" on "Last Kiss" plays into the evergreen nostalgia of Freedom Wind."Honey I Don't Know Why" is the true low point on the album with its raspy vocals. Its lazy aping is like a huge surf board sticking out of the sand. For all the quibbles about this only being a sore substitute for Brian Wilson's next album That Lucky Old Sun the songs breeze through your ears and are fairly harmless. You've got to applaud The Explorers Club for being so brave with their love of music - a situation their hero knows all about. 69%[Download The Explorers Club Freedom Wind]Links The Explorers Club [myspace] [label] [official]