2008 Woodie Awards
Summer songs in the days of snow
Peter Bennett
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Life!
For someone who thrives on the sounds of summer, Jack Johnson continues to subtly release albums in the dead of winter. Those of us not paying attention might have missed the Feb. 5 release of Johnson's fourth studio album, Sleep through the Static.
With Sleep, Johnson hoped to "shake up his sound." And with the electric guitar he holds on the album cover, he almost fools us. But it's not the electric guitar, nor the new keyboardist that marks a subtle change in everyone's favorite surfer songwriter.
Rather, It's the tempo and the mood. From track one, "All at Once," there is a slower, mellower tempo than we're used to hearing. This is attributed to the more melodic, rhythmic nature of the CD.
The strong staccato strumming patterns that characterized songs like "Flake," "Mudfootball," and "Never Know" are gone and are replaced with more effortless strumming, intricate finger picking, and blues-y guitar riffs, most notable on "Losing Keys."
Critics contend that there is a more noticeable change to Johnson's newest CD. It's argued that this change is based on Johnson placing more emphasis on his political consciousness and worldview now that he's a father of two.
Certainly, there are more overt political references, but really, this is nothing new. The real thing Johnson has changed is that callow songs like "Bubble Toes" and "Banana Pancakes" are absent. Johnson has matured and it shows. With this maturity and a smoother sound, Sleep is a more polished version of his second album, On and On.
"If I had Eyes" has been released as the first single and the title track looks like it will be the second single off the album. However, Johnson's best work includes neither of these songs.
After some forgettable tunes at the beginning, the middle of the album holds his best work. Tracks eight, nine, and ten, entitle "What You Thought You Need," "Adrift," and "Go On," encompass the maturity and mellowness that epitomize this album.
These stripped down songs prove that sometimes the simple side of Jack Johnson is his best side.
With Sleep, Johnson hoped to "shake up his sound." And with the electric guitar he holds on the album cover, he almost fools us. But it's not the electric guitar, nor the new keyboardist that marks a subtle change in everyone's favorite surfer songwriter.
Rather, It's the tempo and the mood. From track one, "All at Once," there is a slower, mellower tempo than we're used to hearing. This is attributed to the more melodic, rhythmic nature of the CD.
The strong staccato strumming patterns that characterized songs like "Flake," "Mudfootball," and "Never Know" are gone and are replaced with more effortless strumming, intricate finger picking, and blues-y guitar riffs, most notable on "Losing Keys."
Critics contend that there is a more noticeable change to Johnson's newest CD. It's argued that this change is based on Johnson placing more emphasis on his political consciousness and worldview now that he's a father of two.
Certainly, there are more overt political references, but really, this is nothing new. The real thing Johnson has changed is that callow songs like "Bubble Toes" and "Banana Pancakes" are absent. Johnson has matured and it shows. With this maturity and a smoother sound, Sleep is a more polished version of his second album, On and On.
"If I had Eyes" has been released as the first single and the title track looks like it will be the second single off the album. However, Johnson's best work includes neither of these songs.
After some forgettable tunes at the beginning, the middle of the album holds his best work. Tracks eight, nine, and ten, entitle "What You Thought You Need," "Adrift," and "Go On," encompass the maturity and mellowness that epitomize this album.
These stripped down songs prove that sometimes the simple side of Jack Johnson is his best side.