REVIEW: Al Jardine’s “Wish”

FROM ENDLESS SUMMER QUARTERLY – THE BEACH BOYS PUBLICATION OF RECORD

By Amanda Metzger

Perhaps Al Jardine’s new single “Wish” resonates so deeply not only because we all feel the pangs of nostalgia, but because we share the wish to have The Beach Boys “back again.”

In this song, clocking in at close to four minutes, Jardine takes the listener on a personal journey, as it was written thirty years ago. At that time, he was actively touring with Mike Love, Carl Wilson, and Bruce Johnston, but deeply missing Dennis Wilson, who had passed, and Brian Wilson who wasn’t touring.

“Wish” evokes feelings of longing to return to times that exist only in aching hearts and memories. The origins of the word nostalgia are Greek — nostos, meaning to return home and algos meaning pain, yet this melody is dipped in something hopeful that coats every note in a way only a Beach Boy can deliver. We, too, are left hopeful, with this just a preview of more new music that Jardine says is on the way — not to mention his teasing of touring with Brian Wilson’s touring band, though Wilson wouldn’t be joining the tour.

Jardine recorded the lead vocals for “Wish” in the mid-to-late 1990s. It’s like a melodic time capsule opened in 2024 to reveal that, as much as things have changed in thirty years, both the love we have for friends and our longing to revisit the past are untouched by time.

The first new Jardine single since 2021, “Wish” was recorded many times since he first started working on it in the 1990s with longtime collaborator Larry Dvoskin (known for his work with Sammy Hagar and Bad Company). We are grateful to have these legends of harmony still with us, six decades after The Beach Boys debuted, completing their music and revealing what they have yet to share. “Now that you’ve been set free a bloom is on the tree, won’t you come to sing…share with me a song, that we had left undone,” Jardine sings.

In addition to lead vocals, Jardine plays bass. Dvoskin who also co-wrote Jardine’s 2010 solo classic “Waves of Love,” sings the two-part and harmony vocals and plays piano and synths on “Wish.” The first two minutes of “Wish” are soft and lovely with a wistful piano accompaniment. The song intensifies at about 2 minutes 15 seconds signaled by a drumbeat by Taylor Simpson. The ballad ends with a sparkling synth that feels like magic glitter dust that could bring memories to life, change the past or maybe bring The Beach Boys back again.

The lyrics “wind chimes playing in the breeze, beckoning to me, a summer melody…wish I could have you back again,” instantly reminded me of the psychedelic pop masterpiece “Wind Chimes” from Smiley Smile. “Wind Chimes,” with its haunting other-worldly quality in both sound and lyrics, evokes for me the experience of surrendering to deeply painful grief, letting go of sorrow, and ultimately finding peace. “Though it’s hard I try not to look at my wind chimes/ Now and then a tear rolls off my cheek” … as the lyrics go to “Wind Chimes.”

There’s something timeless about The Beach Boys’ harmonies that continues to captivate — I don’t know if it’s scientific, mystical or both, but in “Wish” there is a “sparkling innocence” that is also detectable in the The Beach Boys catalog, whether the material is sun soaked and lighthearted, or dark and vulnerable.

 “Wish” is up for GRAMMY® consideration in three categories: Song of The Year, Best Pop Duo (with co-vocalist Larry Dvoskin) and Best Arrangement, Instruments, and Vocals.

The single is available on all major digital music platforms. It is dedicated to Al’s loyal fans always wishing for new music. A portion of the proceeds will go to Make-A-Wish America and MusiCares, an organization that helps musicians with services such as mental health and addiction recovery.

©2024 Endless Summer Quarterly/All Rights Reserved

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Mike Sullivan

2 weeks ago

Well written newsworthy piece. Thanks to the journalist!

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