That's Why God Made the RadioCapitol ***

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, the classic line-up of those surviving Beach Boys – Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine – have buried the many hatchets to present the group's first original bunch of songs in decades. There's no hint of Smile-era experimentation here. This is old-school route- one Beach Boys from the early 1960s – artless lyrics (sample: "Good vibrations, summer weather, we're back together"), tight harmonies and simple melody lines. There are still flashes of brilliance on The Private Life of Bill and Sue, Shelter and From There to Back Again but not much here for the Heroes and Villains or Surf's Up fan. At times when those voices blend together majestically you can only swoon at the beauty of the music, but too often flaccid musical ideas and maudlin lyrics spoil this Beach Boys party. thebeachboys.com

Download tracks:From There to Back Again, Pacific Coast Highway, The Private Life of Bill and Sue