Pitchfork

Former Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson will revisit some familiar themes on That Lucky Old Sun, his forthcoming official (read: non-Christmas) follow-up to 2004's reconstructed opus SMiLE.

A press release describes the new album as "a musical love letter from Southern California" and "an autobiographical travelogue of sorts," while Wilson says it takes the form of an "interwoven series of 'rounds' with interspersed spoken word." A Brian Wilson concept album about SoCal and the sun? Sure, sign us up.

And there's a lot more that is familiar about That Lucky Old Sun. For starters, Wilson wrote the record in collaboration with SMiLE lyricist Van Dyke Parks and current band member Scott Bennett. It also marks his return to longtime Beach Boys label Capitol, which will release the record on CD, deluxe CD/DVD, limited edition vinyl, and digitally. The album comes out in the U.S. on September 2 (September 1 internationally).

Wilson premiered That Lucky Old Sun live last September at London's Royal Festival Hall, and he and his band will introduce it to American audiences with shows at the Hollywood Bowl this September. The group also has a handful of UK and North American shows this summer.

Finally, don't forget that the limited edition singles replica box set The Beach Boys: U.S. Singles Collection - The Capitol Years (1962-1965) comes out June 10 via Capitol/EMI.

That Lucky Old Sun:

01 That Lucky Old Sun
02 Morning Beat
03 That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
04 Good Kind of Love
05 Forever My Surfer Girl
06 That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
07 Live Let Live
08 Mexican Girl
09 That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
10 California Role
11 That Lucky Old Sun (narrative)
12 Oxygen
13 Can't Wait Too Long (vocal excerpt)
14 Midnight's Another Day
15 Going Home
16 Southern California

Brian Wilson:

06-28 London, England - English Heritage Picnic Concerts
06-29 Suffolk, England - Ipswich Regent Theatre
07-01 London, England - Royal Albert Hall
07-08 Niagara Falls, Ontario - Niagara Falls Casino Avalon Ballroom
07-09 Ottawa, Ontario - Ottawa Blues Fest
07-12 Highmount, NY - Belleayre Mountain Ski Center
07-13 Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
09-12 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09-13 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09-14 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl