Fenster writes:

. . . wherein we introduce a new semi-regular feature on NOTS.  These will be songs that crib from the masters, especially those in the power pop lineage, and do it well enough to make it work no matter how shameless the cribbing.

Music in the power pop tradition looks to balance a certain set of contrasts.  It looks to be punchy without overdoing it, and often relies on a certain restraint despite the punch (e.g., The Who’s I Can See for Miles as opposed to the group’s later all-out arena-sized bombast).  And it looks to be melodic, and especially harmonic (as with the Beatles), without retreating as far as the tradition of commercial pop.  Sometimes it holds these in rough balance (Squeeze, say).  Sometimes one is dominant over the other, as the harmonic side is with the Beach Boys.

Sax has taken it upon himself to go through the latter’s albums here, one by one.  What a project!  I have enjoyed the music and commentary to date and look for more.

In the meantime, here is installment one of NOT The Beach Boys.

It is a cut called Forever by a contemporary outfit called the Explorer’s Club.  It is, per the above, as shameless a rip-off as you will ever find.  And that is saying a lot.  I have some other NOTs queued up that are pretty shameless in their own way.  Anyway, here it is.