Average Rating: 4.00 Rating Variance: 0.00 Objectivity Score: 50% (Poorly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name4.0 excellentJack Johnson To the SeaI discovered Jack Johnson out of order. First the simple sweet melodies of "In Between Dreams," then the subtle "On and On," followed by hiccup "Sleep Through the Static" and the classic "Brushfire Fairytales." This strange sequence of discovery gives me a unique perspective on Johnson's music, but I do agree with the general consensus that "Sleep Through the Static" was a mess, only giving rise to a few good tunes. I had high expectations for "To The Sea" and I was not disappointed. This album is everything it's predecessor wanted to be. It combined elements that worked for Johnson in the past (simple melodies, love songs, songs about the family, etc.) and also added the electric factor that was flubbed on "STTS." The first song, the poppy "You and Your Heart" was the first single off of the album. It opened up the album (and the Johnson concert I attended. more on that later) with one of the years best riffs, simultaneously airy and edgy. The lyrics deal pretty simply with issues of conscience, but the song is presented in such a fun way it takes any heaviness off of the topic. The next song, title track "To The Sea" is a good song with a complex message. However, for me lyrics take a back seat on this song and the guitar takes center stage. Johnson throws in a completely unexpected Hendrix/Mayer-esque guitar solo that fits well and proves that the man can shred. "No Good With Faces," is the first track to not impress me, seeming like a stowaway from "STTS," but things pick up quickly with the second single "At or With Me," a high energy, paranoid jam-fest featuring Jack's good buddy G. Love on the harmonica. This is feel good music at its best. The next track, "When I Look Up" is a very nice song. Johnson duets with fellow Hawaiian Paula Fuga, but there is one flaw. The song at only 58 seconds seems to be more of an interlude. "From the Clouds" introduces another great riff to the album as Johnson continues to flex the guitar skills. "My Little Girl" and "Turn Your Love" are both solid songs, the latter including another appearance from Fuga. "The Upsetter" kicks off with a bouncy percussive lick and incorporates another impressive solo from Johnson, maybe trying to shed his mellow man image. "Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology" helps him shed that image, yet another electric guitar driven stompfest with G. Love. "Pictures of People Taking Pictures" and "Anything But The Truth" float by harmlessly, but the album ends strong with a tribute to Johnson's father and his solo journey from California to Hawaii on "Only The Ocean." Much of the album was inspired by Jack's dad, the late Jeff Johnson. To adress the concert comment, this album provides the positive electric energy ("Sleep Through The Static" was a somber and melancholy electric mess) that makes Johnson concerts high energy, up-out-of-your-seat, dancing events. I hope that this marks the begininning of a new era for Jack Johnson and his music, because if it does, things are looking up.
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