Album Review:

The Freshmen were an Irish show band formed in the early sixties. Beginning in 1964, they released material under the Pye label. Locally, the band made quite a name for themselves and became one of the biggest groups in the country. Though their initial songs were country ballads such as 'So This Is Love' (#16 on Irish charts) and 'La Yenka' (#10), the group soon took their music to a whole new level by writing and covering American material. The Freshmen's main influence at this time was the Beach Boys, yet they had a unique sound that lifted them above simply another cover band. Additionally, with seven members, the Freshmen had voices to spare, which suited their new sound quite well. On this, their only album, the band cycles through many genres, such as sunshine pop, rock, folk, and surf. The group continued to have success into the 1980s, playing gigs and charting. 

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'Saturday and Sunday' is a laid-back pop song with plenty of backup vocals and lots of brass. Not exactly a great song, but nevertheless, it's an upbeat opening to an album. 'She Cries' is one of the more interesting songs on the record. This one has an unusually prevalent bass line, considering that it doesn't do much. 'Things Get Better' is another typical late sixties-sounding number with brass and oddly only two voices rather than six. The Beach Boy's influence finally kicks in on 'Look at the Sunshine.' Overall a fairly strong sunshine pop tune of Yellow Balloon quality. - Originally a hit for the Rivingtons, the Beach Boys incorporated 'Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow' into their set list as well as on their live album. In contrast, the Freshmen version takes some interesting liberties and feels slightly more polished than the American rendition. After a harmony-drenched intro, 'When Summer Comes' picks up where 'Look At the Sunshine' left off. It's probably the best song on the album. The acapella outro is just as good as anything Brian Wilson was coming up with. 100% sunshine pop. 'Gone - Movin' On' is a cover of Mark Lindsey and Terry Melcher's rocker. 

'Carpet Man' is a rather weak cover of the Fifth Dimension's tune. Dean Derek's arrangement of 'Yesterday' is filled with intricate harmonies and soft instruments. The harmonies on 'Make It With You' are again very Beach Boys-esque. 

The group does quite a good job retaining the innocent charm of 'Go Granny Go (The Little Old Lady From Pasadena).' 'Close Your Eyes' goes back to 'Gone - Movin' On' territory but yet offers something new. 'Say Goodbye' is not much more than a county/folk ballad that doesn't sound like anything else on the album. 'The Little Girl I Once Knew' makes a nice album closer. It's much faster and has a huge horn section. As for the vocals, it follows Brian's arrangement quite accurately.

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Movin On, for all its obscurity, may be a worthwhile listen for the avid Beach Boys fan. The Freshmen may not have ever had a chance of making it big in the US, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth checking out.