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Rating: Excellent |
Much of the press surrounding the release of Sleep Through the Static recounted Jack Johnson's claim that he'd contributed all of his peppy pop tunes to the Curious George soundtrack, and how that, combined with personal losses—including the death of his cousin Danny Riley, to whom the album is dedicated—led the surfing singer/songwriter into darker territory for his fifth album.
To a certain extent, that's all true, as the album opens with an atypically grim, moody number in "All at Once," and there are some darker sentiments lurking throughout the 14 tracks here, but you have to listen closely to find the sadness that flows through some of the words. Listen very closely, in fact, because Johnson's sand-brushed, soft voice doesn't demand attention. His voice soothes and calms, so it takes concentrated effort to hear beyond his tone and hear what he's actually saying.
On the other hand, the meaning of Johnson's music isn't as important as the gentle mood, a feeling he's managed to maintain on all his albums and that doesn't change here. Johnson may use more electric guitars than acoustic ones on Sleep Through the Static, but he strums them like acoustics, and his overall aesthetic hasn't changed at all: he's still a relaxed guy who sings songs that flow so easily that they fade into the background.
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= Track List =
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