The news that Brian Wilson was working with Frank Ocean, She & Him and Lana Del Ray on his latest album was met with derision from the more conservative members of his fanbase, causing Wilson to quite rightfully state, “I’ve been told too many times not to fuck with the formula, but as an artist it’s my job to do that – and I think I’ve earned that right.” Wilson’s bullish retort suggested that No Pier Pressure might be the album that finally sees him take the reins after a solo career that’s tended to bend to the influence of whichever co-producer was steering each project. Unfortunately, however, No Pier Pressure is another patchy collection that includes some of his best recent work alongside his most risible.
It’s a particularly poorly sequenced selection that manages to frontload the album with its more baffling tracks. Runaway Dancer is a woeful, unwittingly hilarious attempt at a chart-bothering banger that has to be heard to be believed. Our Special Love begins promisingly, before guest Peter Hollens applies heartburn-inducing amounts of cheese; this is the track that Frank Ocean was mooted to appear on, leaving you wondering what might have been.
More positively, the album’s second half is a treat for any Wilson fan, particularly those enamoured with the early 70s incarnation of The Beach Boys. Highlights are the grin-inducing Sail Away, featuring Al Jardine and Blondie Chapman, and the perhaps fittingly titled The Last Song. If it is to be Wilson’s final composition, it’s a moving note on which to bow out: the kind of fragile ballad that exemplifies his unique gift for the bittersweet.
