Nero Simon and the Sunsetters - Treasure Chest (2022)

This debut collection is a varied showcase of catchy radio-friendly tunes & the group sounds good. It starts with a Beach Boys-like “Treasure Chest,” with the added tastiness of a sax. The vocals are bright & though they don’t have the complicated harmonies of The Beach Boys this music does take a deeper dive into Beach Boys’ more serious era. With none of their abstractions. A well interpreted soft-rock potpourri.

The song even feels like its origins are not California but the Keys of Florida & the Gulf. A nice sunny shift. The band glides easily from one style to another on varied subjects. Retro convertibles, cheap sunglasses & dollar store sandals. Yet, when they touch upon topics like bad decisions, money, doomed romances, road trips & just wanting to escape – they take nods to past pop-rock & put a nice splash into the currents.

“Forever,” moves from the Beach Boys & introduces Melissa Mason’s vocals – a blend of Christine McVie/Christine Collister smokiness with Nero’s lead vocal. The song is mindful of mid-60s groups that also had melodic brief charmful songs like The Beach Nuts’ 1965 hit “Out In the Sun.”