At My Piano

As the songwriter responsible for the sounds that all but define several eras of American music, Brian Wilson is one of the few artists who can return to the highlights of their catalog again and again without it becoming too tedious. At My Piano finds the iconic Beach Boys founder reworking some of his best-loved tunes as spare piano instrumentals, with a set list that includes four Pet Sounds compositions, songs from the Beach Boys' early surf-obsessed days, and selections from Wilson's solo albums. Ubiquitous melodies like those from "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "California Girls," or "Good Vibrations" are light and easygoing in stripped-down piano form, peeling back Wilson's tendency for dense arrangements and allowing the tenderness, joy, and naïveté of his songwriting to come to the forefront. Less celebrated songs like "Friends" or the crushingly melancholic "Till I Die" sound great in their somber piano renditions as well, showing how Wilson's essence as a songwriter was present in his hits and non-hits alike. The main shortcoming of At My Piano is that even though Brian Wilson is playing songs that he wrote, the mellow, elevator music style of these versions doesn't sound any more significantly connected to Wilson than any other session musician or unknown piano player running through familiar tunes as background music at a martini bar would sound. Despite this, it's pleasant to hear these songs in a new form, and to realize Wilson's depths as an artist when he presents himself at his most minimal, and it's still preternaturally beautiful. ~ Fred Thomas