Though it wasn't a big hit in America at the time of its release, the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds was eventually recognized as one of the most admirable achievements in pop music. And since Brian Wilson ruined the incipient goodwill that he'd begun to garner when he shelved its follow-up, Smile, it seemed like Pet Sounds might never enjoy its day in the sun. Surprisingly enough, though, the 1990s elevated it to higher levels of critical and popular acclaim than it might have ever seen. This was due in no small part to the fact that that decade saw Wilson's handsome progeny coming of age. From Wilco's Summerteeth to Matthew Sweet's In Reverse, Brian Wilson's fingerprints were all over every talented pop songwriter who chose to become expansive without turning "progressive."
Wilco and Matthew Sweet both retained their own voices even as they unabashedly displayed their influences. Such is not entirely the case with Let It Grow, the second long-player from Toronto's Meligrove Band. A trio of 23-year-olds, the Meligrove Band shifts their approach from that heard on 2000's Stars & Guitars into a much larger and more orchestrated affair. Their new style is reminiscent of vintage Beach Boys, but when they throw in some overly familiar So-Cal harmonies and trademark leaps into falsetto, they invite a comparison that they're bound to lose. Although not everything on Let It Grow is lifted straight from Pet Sounds and its brethren, it borrows heavily enough to make you wonder why you should listen to it when you could go to the source.
But perhaps you've memorized Pet Sounds and find yourself frustrated by Brian Wilson's (and Mike Love's) eccentricities in the Beach Boys' later work. You're left with a hunger for more of the same, and you've got nowhere to turn. The Meligrove Band hopes you'll turn to them. And why not, if it works? Let It Grow makes it clear why originality is such an overrated quality. Sure, the band nicks too much from classic sunshine pop for their own good, but their sources are superb and their music well executed, taking them through countless surprise twists and turns. Their playing is accomplished and tasteful, as well, with guitarist Jason Nunes shining nicely whenever he gets the chance, and their fine vocals are sweet enough to melt away any objections about the freshness of their approach.
So yes, Let It Grow is a nice listen, but more than anything, it offers plenty of reason to believe that better things are yet to come. The Meligrove Band sounds like a group on the verge of outgrowing their derivative tendencies, and that's certainly good news, as too often throughout this album, the elements that make up their ultimate sound are walled off from each other, as a hard-edged guitar rocker is followed by a quaintly polished chamber-pop track. Songs that feature more of a mixture, such as "Check Your Messages" and the epic closer, "A Different Ship", easily outpace the more streamlined tracks. Considering the tender ages of the band members and the unimpeachable pedigree of their influences, it seems likely enough that their next release will be even better.
