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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - 'To Sing And Be Born Again' (Vinyl)
Artist - The Explorers Club

For those not in the know, The Explorers Club, who have been lauded for “brightening our winters with their patented brand of sun-kissed beach-pop” (Shindig! Magazine), will release two albums simultaneously through Goldstar Recordings (digitally June 12th, 2020 and on Vinyl and CD July 12th, 2020).

The Explorers Club showcases a dozen originals from the self-styled sunshine pop band featuring multi-part vocal harmonies and lush melodies reminiscent of ‘60s and ‘70s groups such as The Beach Boys, The Turtles and The Association.

To Sing And Be Born Again (which we have on lovely vinyl here now and will be reviewing directly from) is a ten-part love letter to their influences, consisting entirely of covers that were originally recorded by The Lovin’ Spoonful, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Herb Alpert, The Zombies and more.

The Explorers Club is the brainchild of Jason Brewer, who founded the band in his native Charleston, SC before relocating to Nashville.

With several songs featured on such shows as The O.C. and How I Met Your Mother and with three albums already under their belts – Freedom Wind (2008), Grand Hotel (2012) and 2016’s Together – this June’s twin releases are Brewer’s most ambitious undertaking to date.
The impetus for this stems from the overwhelmingly positive reaction the band received after releasing several cover songs as free downloads leading up to their sophomore release.

Side A:
1. 'I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite'
2. 'She'd Rather Be With Me'
3. 'Roses And Rainbows'
4. 'Kicks'
5. 'The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)'

Side B:
6. 'Maybe After He's Gone'
7. 'Can't Find The Time'
8. 'Say You Will'
9. 'This Guy's In Love With You'
10. 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'

This foot-tappin, arms raised, exuberantly wonderful potpourri of songs from 1965-68 opens with 'I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite' (Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hartis), which is then backed by the shoulder-dippin', horn-backed 'She'd Rather Be With Me' (The Turtles), the summer melodies of 'Roses And Rainbows' (a pre-Three Dog Night Danny Hutton), the guitar pop of 'Kicks' (Paul Revere & The Raiders), and then Side A rounds out with a light and breezy, yet lovingly faithful 'The Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)' (by Bob Dylan via Manfred Mann).

Side B opens with the psych pop of 'Maybe After He's Gone' (The Zombies), which is followed by the gentle musical waves lapping at the shore notes of 'Can't Find The Time' (by the “Bosstown Sound” band Orpheus, as well as a latter chart entry by Rose Colored Glass, here featuring former-BNL's Steven Page), and then my own personal favorite, the amiable hipsway of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s 'Didn't Want To Have To Do It' (here featuring Jay Gonzalez of Drive-By Truckers).

Coming to a close on Brewer's simply divine rendition of Herb Alpert's 'This Guy's In Love With You,' and then finishing on a triumphal 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore' (Frankie Valli/The Walker Brothers), if this album had come out in the '60s, it would have been a monster hit, and deservedly so.

“I still get asked about those songs," Brewer explains, discussing the aforementioned positive reaction the band received after releasing several cover songs as free downloads, "so there is obviously a demand for a covers album.”

“I had a brand new album just about finished, which I think is one of the strongest things I’ve ever done. I figured I’ve got access to all this studio time and I’ve got some players to pull in to do it, so I’ll do an album of ‘60s covers, too."

"I just got to work and I finished both albums at the same time. It was an opportunity to give back to our hardcore followers who have loved the band for over ten years now.”

"I had a solid lineup of musicians working with me on the previous albums and I catered to their tastes, but this time around I made the record that I wanted to make,” Brewer adds.

Official Purchase Links

www.TheExplorersClub.com





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