Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys

Widely regarded as one of the best albums of all time, this feels like an intimidating listen. Is it possible for an album to be too polished? Certainly, the best known tracks on this are deeply embedded in my brain and still sound as perfect as they ever did. However, there’s something about this that doesn’t sit quite right with me on repeated listens.

Perhaps it’s the opening track “Wouldn’t it Be Nice” which is, when you boil it down, just about a horny teenager wishing that he could have sex with his girlfriend. Similarly, “Sloop John B” is someone singing about being home sick on a boat in the Caribbean, not a typical subject for a pop song.

I find myself coming back to the instrumental tracks “Let’s Go Away For A While” and the title track as being the most enigmatic and interesting, as well as the final song “Caroline No” which ends with dogs barking and a train steaming off into the night.

Four stars, but not quite five for me.