Brilliant pop composer Brian Wilson announced today that he's returning to Capitol Records/EMI, the longtime record label of his former group the Beach Boys. His new album, That Lucky Old Sun, is due out September 2.
A theme album that takes inspiration from Wilson's beachy California upbringing, That Lucky Old Sun is "[comprised of a] series of narratives with the sun, voiced by Wilson, as the narrator of a series of snapshots of life in Southern California," reports the Los Angeles Times. Wilson himself describes the album as an "interwoven series of 'rounds' with interspersed spoken word."
Wilson's previous two releases—2004's solo effort Gettin' in Over My Head and the long-awaited Smile—were released on Rhino and Nonesuch, respectively.
"Brian Wilson is an iconic talent with enormous musical influence all over the world, and we are very proud to be representing him," said Guy Hands, executive chairman of Capitol's parent company, EMI Music. "We all remember the feeling we got when we first heard the Beach Boys' music. My particular favorite classic is 'Surfer Girl.' It always reminds me of driving an open top car down the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Barbara to Malibu. Brian Wilson is an iconic talent with enormous musical influence all over the world and we are very proud to be representing him."
Wilson premiered his new material this past September at London's Royal Festival Hall to strong reviews.