If one were to limit The Beach Boys’ catalog to solely their third album, you’d still have enough strong tracks to cement the group’s status in the halls of classic summer listening. Many groups don’t even have as many hits in their whole cannon, let alone one album. 

 

After the success of Surfin' U.S.A., the Beach Boys made a daring move. Up to this point the band had enjoyed fame as one of the top rock groups, releasing energy-charged singles such as "Surfin' U.S.A.", "Shut Down", and "409" but in July of 1963, the band revealed another side of themselves. Unlike their previous 45's, "Surfer Girl" was not an uptempo surf song, but instead, a tender ballad carried by Brian's vulnerable falsetto and some intricate Four Freshmen-styled harmonies. Fans didn't seem to mind this new direction, however as "Surfer Girl" shot up to #7 on the Billboard charts. Coincidentally, the ensuing album also charted in the seventh spot.

The Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl” was a significant improvement on the band’s previous two offerings. This was the first album produced by Brian Wilson and featured some bonafide hits such as “Surfer Girl,” and “Little Deuce Coupe.” Where the real magic happens however is in the non-single tracks. ‘Catch A Wave’ and ‘Hawaii’ are both a rocking numbers with very Wilson-esque chord changes and show the band experimenting outside the realm of 3-chord surf pop tracks. Even more progressive, ‘In My Room’ demonstrates a tender side of the California group unseen prior to this release. Also furthering the Boys’ foray into new territory were ‘The Surfer Moon’ and ‘Your Summer Dream.’

Surfer Girl is a classic surf album, and just about the quintessential listening for summer days or nights (that one coming soon…).