New Mini Mansions song "Any Emotions" ft. Brian Wilson

[Niko]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaA_-53H1LI

[Niko]

I dig it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Tres cool - both the song and Brian's contribution.

[runnersdialzero]

How did this collaboration come to be? Didn't hear about it prior to now (or the band, for that matter), it's totally different than the type of stuff Brian usually shows up on nowadays. Purty cool.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Here's a hint - they're currently both on Capitol... 

[runnersdialzero]

Here's a hint - they're currently both on Capitol... 

Haha, makes sense. 

[Matt Bielewicz]

Mmm. It's okay. I'm not really sure what Brian brings to it that any one else couldn't have, though. But that's just my opinion.

I agree that Brian is turning up on a lot of stuff that the average Beach Boys' fan wouldn't immediately imagine he would be interested in collaborating on. I like that, as a principle. It's good to shake things up a little, and not just be involved in productions covered in Leslied guitar, bass harmonica and vibes for the rest of time.

Having said that, though, I'm not sure any of the collaborations I've heard so far massively float my boat. They're all OK, quite interesting, but just kind of... there. For me the acid test is: having heard the tracks with Brian on, am I moved to investigate any of his collaborators' other stuff? Or am I only listening initially because Brian's on it, and then failing to want to find out more after that? Because nothing we've heard so far has really grabbed me by the throat and made me rush out to buy everything else by that artist. Which is what I tend to do when I hear something I massively like.

Like I say though... I like the idea that he's putting himself with all these different kinds of artists (even if the motivation is, at least in part, that they're all other Capitol-connected artists in some way). It could lead to something really cool, even if I don't feel it quite has yet, from the collabs we've heard so far...

You can look at it a bit like a revival of the kind of collaborations he did with other artists in the early 60s. He hasn't done that kind of thing for decades. I like that.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I sense a gameplan unfolding. Time will tell if it's a good one, but that there actually is one is comforting.

[Andrew G. Doe]

From the band's website:

“Any Emotions” came to feature Brian Wilson after [Zach] Dawes played bass on a session for the Beach Boys guru’s new album; the final result finds Wilson magically imbuing the track with his trademark voice and haunting melodicism. “Brian and I had a good rapport after the first session I did for him,” Dawes says. “When I asked him to work with us, he gave more than any of us had anticipated, I guess that’s why he’s Brian Wilson – it still feels a little surreal.”

[Matt Bielewicz]

I just had another thought: what if these collaborations that are gradually coming out are the out-takes from the No Pier Pressure collaboration process? I don't mean necessarily that these are tracks that might have made the album at one time, and were cut. Maybe they never got that far. I'll try to explain...

I was wondering after the post above why none of the collaborator tracks we've heard so far have (to me) been that stunningly amazing. They all strike me as competent and quite interesting, but lacking a spark that makes them truly great. (Maybe that's just me, though). Then the thought occurred to me: if you'd decided that for your next album, you were going to try to collaborate with as many artists as possible (I don't know if that WAS Brian's thinking for this project, but bear with me)... then you'd want to keep the best results for your eventual album, wouldn't you? The collaborations that worked out the best would be the ones to go on No Pier Pressure.

So maybe BW put himself out there over the course of the last two years, and worked with all sorts of artists. If he did that, the odds are that the results were going to be better with some musical collaborators than others. Some collaborations would maybe lead to nothing of consequence at all. Others would just be OK, and yet others might capture some 'lightning in a bottle'. If so, then it stands to reason that the 'lightning' would be held back for Brian's eventual album — but there would still be all these other tracks around.

A bit like how there are always loads of tracks in play when most bands put together an album, but gradually, as work progresses, they decide what's going on the album and what isn't. Some of the stuff that isn't is never released (or only makes it out on a career retrospective boxed set decades later), some of it is hived off for use in film soundtracks or other works, some of it is used for B-sides (or, these days, iTunes bonus tracks and the like). Some of it, which is actually really good but it turns out doesn't fit the overall tone of the album as it grows into being, is held back for future albums (like Good Vibrations, I guess...!).

So back to the original point: perhaps the collaborations that are slowly emerging of late are some of the tracks resulting from a great flurry of artist collaborations over the past couple of years, and these are the ones that Brian felt shouldn't go on NPP for whatever reason. That makes sense to me. Although it might not be the reason at all, as I'm only speculating...

Whatever actually IS going on, clearly there has been some kind of massive collaborative musical and songwriting process going on between BW and lots of other musicians over the past couple of years. As Andrew says, whatever the results turn out to be, it's great that the big man is still doing this kind of thing after all these decades. I am hungry to know more, even if the collaborations I've heard so far have merely washed over me somewhat.

[elnombre]

Great sounding group, and a good track. Yes, Brian's contribution is small and probably mostly for name value, but it definitely says something that hip young indie bands would care to have that name on their record. By all means Brian and the BBs should cash-in on this hipster renaissance - their music just screams to it. I'm almost surprised it's taken this long.

[Shady]

That is a very good song and Brian's contribution really adds to the song.

Pretty surreal to hear Brian on a track like this. He's finally getting to do the rock songs he's always wanted.

[seltaeb1012002]

Diggin this! Brian sounds great!

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Many thanks Woodstock. Fascinating track with Brian's great vocal being a perfect fit. The man is guesting more and more these days. Could he be making up for lost time?

[drbeachboy]

Tres cool - both the song and Brian's contribution.

Agree, and finally something brand new that I like. My only complaint is it could have used a better ending. It was too abrupt and could have used a Wall of Brian's as a fadeout.

[EgoHanger1966]

It's neat that these things keep popping out of nowhere. As far as the song structure and vocals go, it's my favorite of the collabs I've heard. Not a fan of the production/synthy drum beat, though. I'd love to hear it stripped down - the melody kind of reminds me of John Lennon's "Woman".

[Mr. Cohen]

I gotta give it up. Great feature by Brian here, even if it's relatively minor. I was critical of his vocals on "Our Special Love" (holy autotune!), but he fits like a glove on this track. The "so happy" bit reminds me of Animal Collective.

[rab2591]

Really impressed. Very original tune and Brian's vocals work really well on it. Thanks for posting!

[RONDEMON]

Wow. I love this. I wish BW would do more guest appearances w/ indie bands instead of collab'ing with Elton John and other "legends."

[drbeachboy]

It's neat that these things keep popping out of nowhere. As far as the song structure and vocals go, it's my favorite of the collabs I've heard. Not a fan of the production/synthy drum beat, though. I'd love to hear it stripped down - the melody kind of reminds me of John Lennon's "Woman".

I knew I heard a Beatles/Lennon melody in there, but couldn't put my finger on it.

[Debbie Keil-Leavitt]

I loved it.  Period.

[Generation42]

Thanks for sharing, Woodstock.

I quite enjoyed the number.  Brian sounded great; his voice fit the piece rather well, I thought.

A bit more of an acoustic drumkit sound would have pleased me (still waiting for that BB85 "Stripped Down" remix with real drums, too), but otherwise?

Yeah, count me a fan of the collaboration.  

[Niko]

In his solo career, there have been a few moments where I've felt genuinly sad for the way Brian's voice has changed since he was young...but I think from BWPS onwards, he's progressively gotten better at using his 'matured' voice. All his vocals on TLOS and TWGMTR were very strong - but on these last 3 singles (Falling Apart, Our Special Love and Any Emotion), his voice sounds just as good as it ever did, though in an entirely different way. It's like he's not only strengthened it, but found out what to sing to really bring out the same magic you'll hear in Don't Worry Baby or more recently Pacific Coast Highway. All he's doing in Falling Apart and Any Emotion is lending some vocals, but no one else could sound like he does on these tracks...because he's Brian Wilson. Seriously, how much better are the tracks just because of the addition of his voice?

I have the highest hopes for No Pier Pressure - it just seems like everything is lining up for the best case scenario to become reality.

[Smilin Ed H]

Love it. One of his bvs - along with Adios, MacArthur Park and Delirious Love

[seltaeb1012002]

It's neat that these things keep popping out of nowhere. As far as the song structure and vocals go, it's my favorite of the collabs I've heard. Not a fan of the production/synthy drum beat, though. I'd love to hear it stripped down - the melody kind of reminds me of John Lennon's "Woman".

I knew I heard a Beatles/Lennon melody in there, but couldn't put my finger on it.

I was thinking "Beautiful Boy".