Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

When I started this blog I wanted to write about sports and music. I've gotten a few sports coments down everyday (though I'd like to write longer and more frequently). This is my second music post (Daniel Erb was the first) and this is going to be a full length CD review.

Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

I saw Johnson a few years ago at Bonnaroo and I thought he was okay. He didn't seem too special too me. I've burned a few of his CDs since then, and I've never given them my full attention, and I'm not really sure why. I love accoustic guitar and (sophisitcated) pop music, and I don't know if it was the fact that his fan base overlapped with the DMB fan base (which I grew up around and turned me off to their music since).... Needless to say, I've heard his singles, but never listened too much to him.

The other day I had the radio on in my car (which is very rare) and I had it on a music station (even rarer, I listen to Air America or Sports when I have the radio on). The DJ talked about Johnson and played his new single, 'Sitting, Waiting, Wishing'. I thought it was okay, and didn't really think much of it. Then I was watching SNL the other day and Johnson was the musical guest. He played SWW and then for the second song he played 'Mudfootball' with G. Love. I've been humming 'Mudfootball' ever since (it's been4 days). Finally, my friend Matt asked me to go to Target with him to buy a grill, I had nothin better to do (besides study for finals) so I went. He told me how he heard this song off Johnsons new album that's really sweet and he's trying to learn it on guitar. I don't know if it was a sign or what, but with everyone talking about Jack Johnson and his new album, I decided to spend the 10 bucks and pick it up.

It was one of my smarter CD purchases in quite some time.

The album just has a summertime feeling to it. I don't know if it's because the weather is finally hitting spring here or what, but combined with 'In Between Dreams' it feels like summertime. The album is mostly accoustic strumming and simple arrangments, but it works. My biggest complaint is that the songs are too short (as is the CD itself, about 40 mintues long). There's 14 tracks, which I like, but they rarely go much past the 3 minute mark and I'm honsetly not sure if there's a song that reaches 4 minutes on the entire album. For some of the songs it works, like 'Better Together' and 'Never Know' but for some of the songs it feels like half a song. Like Johnson had the idea for the beginning of a song, but could never finish it, so he just recorded the beginning. I think 'Belle' and 'Situations' suffer the most from this.

My favorite tracks on the album are 'Banana Pancakes,' 'Good People,' 'Breakdown,' and 'Do You Remember.' To me, 'Sitting, Waiting, Wishing' is okay, and I can see why they released it as a single. It sounds the most 'radio friendly' of all of the tracks. It's one of the longer selections and it has electric guitar and some minor chords.

Needless to say, I've been enjoying this album for a few days now and I can't take it out of my CD player. I listen to it and I smile; it's just a happy CD, and I highly recomend it.