For their third album,
Flash Cadillac masterfully recreates the breezy California pop of the mid-'60s.
Beach Boys comparisons are inevitable, especially given that they open the album with an expert cover of "Summer Means Fun," originally recorded by
Bruce Johnston, a
Beach Boy himself, and sometime
Beach Boy producer
Terry Melcher. They also manage two satisfying
Beach Boys homages with the original (Kris Moe) compositions that follow it, "Time Will Tell" and "It's a Summer Night." "It's a Summer Night" may be the pinnacle of
Flash Cadillac's recording career, with outstanding vocal and instrumental work by the group set against flawless '60s production values. Two tracks by Hondell Richard Burns -- the oldie "Come On, Let's Go" and a new song, "Good Times, Rock & Roll" -- fit into the program nicely. Another Moe original, "I Wish You'd Dance," brings some sparkle to the album's second side, but "It's Hard (To Break the Ice)" is bland, and the closing "Rock and Roll Menace" is pointless and dull. With a few more top-quality tunes, this album could have been a 10. As it is,
Sons of the Beaches is a refreshing, well-executed evocation of a golden age of pop songwriting and record making. ~ James A. Gardner