There are a handful of songs that beget a seemingly endless number of covers, from traditional folk songs like “In the Pines” to modern masterpieces like “If It Makes You Happy”—but there are few songwriters whose entire discography has essentially inspired artists of all genres to consistently put their own spin on its robust offerings. Brian Wilson is one of those rare artists (who even covered those songs himself recently), with M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel being the latest in a long, long line of artists reworking the Beach Boy’s tunes to fit their indie-pop mold under their longstanding duet moniker She & Him.
The pair’s forthcoming album Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson is set to arrive on July 22, with the first single dropping today in the form of their spirited take on The Beach Boys’ 1967 single “Darlin’.” Arriving with a colorful visual that anachronistically sets the song in the world of 1980s QVC infomercials, the track pays homage to the original’s vocal harmonies while maintaining the ’00s indie-boom sound She & Him have brought into the present. “Zooey and Matt did such mind-blowing versions of our songs,” Wilson commented on the album, per the press release. “The harmonies are beautiful and right on. I love this record!”
Hear the first taste of the project below, and revisit our recent chat with Brian Wilson here.
