Hitchin' A Ride

During a recent conversation with a friend regarding some of the so-called 'soft pop' vocal groups of the 1960's and early '70's like The Association and The Free Design, the oft-heard lament of "nobody sounds like that anymore" came up. Well, maybe someone does and that someone is The Explorers Club.

I have to say right up front that their album, "Grand Hotel", has become one of my favorites over the last year. Don't let the worn, retro cover art fool you, it's a 2012 release. Happily, the band has progressed from doing stunningly accurate recreations of The Beach Boys post-surf, cars 'n girls sound on their first album, "Freedom Wind", which was absolutely great in lots of ways but also potentially a trap that could have impeded the band's artistic progress.

Explorers Club founder Jason Brewer says this about his hopes for the album. “We really want this record to make a lot of people smile; to inject some positivity into the world. Let’s stop making things so serious and introspective and get away on a musical vacation so we can bring a little bit of joy to people.” To illustrate Brewer's point, here's an early mix of "Run Run Run". I do hear a bit of the 5th Dimension in the intro. It sets the mood nicely.

During his college years, when Brewer and a friend found themselves in an Atlanta studio with plans to record their tune "Forever", he thought, "Wouldn’t it be fun to make something that sounded like Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Bones Howe and all those great ’60s producers? At the time, I was into ’90s groups like Apples in Stereo, who were doing ’60s-type stuff, but it was all so lo-fi."

Posting "Forever" online, Brewer got significant and encouraging feedback, which led to him seeking and finding the like-minded musicians who would comprise The Explorers Club. Regarding the band name, Brewer says "I was a big fan of that Wes Anderson film 'The Life Aquatic' and there’s a scene in it where Bill Murray goes into a bar feeling all depressed, thinking, 'My life is a mess. What am I gonna do?' and my thought, seeing 'Explorers Club' written on the wall, was 'That sure is a cool name for a band!'" The handle suitably described what listeners heard on "Freedom Wind"; a dozen fresh songs that evoke the bracing spirit of classic pop-rock, performed by a young band with a distinct personality and an inexhaustible supply of singing, playing and arranging chops.

The Explorers Club

Recording of what was to become "Grand Hotel" commenced in 2009, but the album’s conception and considerable birth pains preceded it by several months. "After we toured behind 'Freedom Wind' and got a good response," explains Brewer, "I went to our label at the time and said, 'I have a concept for the next record. I want it to be like a musical vacation, a kind of travelogue, like you’re checking into a hotel that’s filled with all these interesting activities, feelings and emotions.'" The label picked up the travel brochure but never really got on board for the trip Brewer had planned. A modest recording budget was allotted, which went fast. Sessions bogged down as "Grand Hotel" turned into a band-financed venture. The Explorers Club finally purchased the in-progress project from the label, then contacted respected music industry veteran Marc Nathan (already a big fan of "Freedom Wind"), who suggested fixes to songs, helped tighten the album’s programming and put the band together with mixing engineer Mark Linett, best known for his work on The Beach Boys "Smile Sessions" and "Pet Sounds" reissues.

Now complete and ready for release, "Grand Hotel" was issued by Rock Ridge Music in February 2012. To prepare for its arrival, fans were treated to three downloadable EP “suites” (designated “Californian,” “Carolinian,” and “New Yorker”), each bundled with a pair of early demo mix versions of songs from the album and 3 lively covers of pop classics! The EP's are still available, but only from iTunes.

First, there's a cover of the Burt Bacharach classic, "Walk On By" from the Californian EP. Next, there's the Classics IV hit, "Stormy", from The Carolinian EP. Lastly, from the New Yorker EP, we change gears to "Hitchin' A Ride", the 1970 Vanity Fare pop hit, which we present here! I think they nailed it.

Seriously, "Grand Hotel" is a Grammy-worthy stunner. It's a great leap forward from the already impressive "Freedom Wind" album and it indicates that The Explorers Club have the imagination and abilities to go just about wherever they please and take the rest of us along for the ride. Ready to check in? Do so at The Explorers Club website, where you can buy direct from from the band (yes, they have vinyl!) or there's the usual Amazon method. Either way, you'll be glad you did.