Beach Boys' new song getting me through

Work and real life continue to be very hectic. I am not abandoning the blog, I just haven't been able to make it a priority lately. This month will be atypical, I promise. More music posts will come.

As the slog continues, music continues to be my biggest source of calm and joy. And one of my favorite groups, The Beach Boys, are topping my playlist this week.

The newest Beach Boys song to hit the Internet and (soon) the radio is "That's Why God Made the Radio."

It's a damn good song. A lot of people are already complaining about it, saying it is too safe or too sanitized or too bland or too processed. Whatever. It sounds good, and it is balm for the soul.

Brian's voice is strong, the lyrics aren't bad (there are a couple cringers, but nothing awful) and the rest of the group and the support singers (Jeff Foskett, etc.) really create a wonderful blend. The harmonies are cool, and the arrangement is punchy. The sound may be a little, well, unadventurous. There's certainly nothing "SMiLE" about it. There's nothing as dynamic as "Wouldn't It Be Nice," for sure. But it's a nice group exercise, and certainly meets (if not exceeds) the quality of many latter-day Beach Boys efforts.

For a group of guys in their late 60s and 70s, this is pretty damn tasty. It's not old codger music (though the radio as a topic kind of dates it ... unless people are talking satellite radio, I don't think AM/FM is gonna relate to younger listeners). It should please the already established fan base. It's fresh, pleasant and just has an overall sense of joy and reassurance that one gets from some of the best Beach Boys songs.

I'm tickled, and I look forward to the album (due out in June).

What do you folks think?