The Beach Boys are back — the real Beach Boys, that is, with Brian Wilson (for all that he doesn’t seem entirely aware of where he is or what he’s doing). Today brings the release of their first reunion single, the title track from the forthcoming album That’s Why God Made the Radio, which comes out June 5th. Upon first listen, we’ve got good news and bad news: On the plus side, it’s not embarrassing. The band hasn’t attempted to update its sound by embracing some contemporary trend (Auto-Tune, dubstep) that’s entirely antithetical to their style, and the song’s slow, sugared harmonies practically beg to accompany a beach-party slow dance. But “That’s Why God Made the Radio” is definitely minor Beach Boys — the A.V. Club pegs it as “highly derivative of the band’s Jesse And The Rippers period,” and we don’t disagree. Give it a listen after the jump and tell us whether it’s fueled or dashed your hopes for the album.
[via EW]