Al Jardine – Islands in the Sun Review

Association with a theme or image is, in the case of those who cannot release works which transcend the popular presentation, a death sentence. For Al Jardine, Mike Love, and more of The Beach Boys, it means being adjacent to a surfboard, a car, or the sun. But the band has matured from those early years’ efforts, which still define a large part of their discography and even their most leftfield works, like Surf’s Up and Friends, can do little to challenge it. Why bother, then, after decades of that image? Accept it, at that point, which is what Jardine has done on his Islands in the Sun EP. Duets with Neil Young, a rare slice of solo work, and it sounds as though Jardine is at ease with the interpretation audiences have. Postcards from sun-kissed beaches, adventures on sandy dunes and coastal places.  

There is a depth to this that The Beach Boys were unable to tap for the pop of the day. Jardine can do so, decades on, with Islands in the Sun. That familiar tone, the harmonies behind Jardine on the opening, title track, are fantastic. The song itself, too, is a solid relay of simpler, positive times in the sun. Islands in the Sun is worth a listen, more to hear how strong Jardine’s voice still is than anything else. You’ll not find a life-affirming or changing moment on this four-song EP, but what you can find is an expression of summer thrills. Those days lounging in the sun and living like a person without care are what these songs highlight. But they do so with some neat instrumental switches which isolate the harmonies, which bring about a gentle sway equivalent to the breeze we associate with spots of natural beauty. Young’s recognisable and still surprising higher pitch can be heard bringing My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir) together.  

A relatively light love song like My Plane Leaves Tomorrow (Au Revoir) would have featured a humdrum collaboration of two pop singers had it been released in the 1980s. But with Young leading the charge and Jardine drifting along in the back, it sounds as though the pair are teaming up to lay out a tribute to lost love. It is the lack of specifics which makes Islands in the Sun so easy to connect with. Jardine captures the pleasant tone the EP cover would suggest, but fills it with sincerity. Tackling lost loves and soft rock expectations, Islands in the Sun soon turns into a genuinely surprising, enjoyable listen. That surprise comes from expecting something Surfin’ Safari shaped. But then it is easy to forget Jardine is a major force of influence for Surf’s Up. He uses that to in spots on Islands in the Sun.  

While Highway 101 (Rosarita Beach Café) is a tad forgettable and a more grounded, expected song from a former Beach Boys member, the EP closer, Crumple Car, recaptures that light magic. Jardine seems to have little interest in forming a solo career, or at the very least, a sound which expands his work with The Beach Boys. It is our loss, not his. Islands in the Sun is a delightful experience which highlights how similar tones can be adapted, extracted from their shining origins and kept alive. But then, there is no point bringing up the past if it is not to be changed. A few golden moments from Islands in the Sun will add fuel to an ever-growing fire, made by people who want more material from Jardine. Let them burn it on the beach he holds dear, he will hopefully return with more.