Search - Jack Johnson :: To the Sea

Jack is back with a new sound and attitude!!!

Wingnutter | Lakeland, FL | 06/02/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jack's new release 'To The Sea' feels like a day at the beach. It has a more raw, upbeat feel than his other CDs, but I think thats a good thing. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but Jack is not a groundbreaking artist. He is true to himself, and I think the direction he went with this CD is positive. There is definitely a noticeable influence from Zach Gill on this record, but I dont think that is a bad thing. Some people will complain that he's moving away from the simpler acoustic stuff, but for me it is a welcome change. Jack has turned it up a notch from Sleep Through The Static, IMO. Top to bottom its a rock solid CD that almost any Jack Johnson fan will like.



You And Your Heart - 8/10 - Took a few listens to grow on me, but its solid and a great opener to the CD. Great video, too.



To The Sea - 8/10 - A home run. Funky, fun, and just plain good. Love the guitar work near the end. Very Hendrix-like. This will be new vintage Jack in a few years.



No Good With Faces - 9/10 - I LOVE this song. One of the best on the CD, IMO. A simple song with a haunting feel. But lets not get ahead of ourselves, theres more songs to review...



At Or With Me - 10/10 - Wow. Best song on the CD, IMO. This song was recorded in a single take in the studio as a demo, but they liked the raw feel so much they put it on the CD. Very upbeat, very catchy, and a great live jam. Unlike anything hes ever done. Love the blues harp that comes in unexpectedly towards the end. I hope he keeps this in his live setlist. Oh-Oh-Oh-Ohhhh!



When I Look Up - 4/10 - I wish this was a longer song, and the length is the only reason I give it a low score. Could have been left off the CD and it wouldnt have made a difference. It sounds like an intro, and thats how I see it...as an intro to...



From The Clouds - 8.5/10 - I REALLY like this song. Its a summer beach song for sure. Love how the guitar and piano compliment each other. "Youre so sweet to me, when you beat me in double solitaire...and youre so sweet to me, in a world thats not always fair". Vintage Jack.



My Little Girl - 7/10 - A nice little love song. Simple, sincere, and to the point. Jack does mellow and tender like nobodys business. Best acoustic song on the CD.



Turn Your Love - 7/10 - I love the music on this track, and this song is growing on me quickly.



The Upsetter - 6/10 - My least favorite song on the CD...Just too much going on, it feels kinda clunky. I like parts of it and the lyrics, and get what he was trying to do, but it just doesnt work for me.



Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology - 9/10 - Another song that WOWED me. A raw, jammy feel. Reminds me of something Id hear in a New Orleans club. Just a fun song with a funky vibe and great lyrics. This is summertime porch music.



Pictures of People Taking Pictures - 7.5/10 - This song had to grow on me. At first it annoyed me...but the more I listen, the more I like it. Ray Davies comes to mind when I hear the lyrics. And although it seems a bit repetitive at times, it somehow works. Give it a few listens and I think you'll agree.



Anything But The Truth - 7/10 - like the other slower, acoustic songs on this CD, this one is growing on me. Its soothing to listen to and the music is beautiful.



Only The Ocean - 8/10 - This song feels like a sunset on the beach, which is fitting for the closing song on the CD. Haunting music...good lyrics...it pulls me in every time I hear it. A great final track.





Having the CD for a few days, I now believe this may be his best release to date. Overall, a must have for any Jack Johnson fan, and for anyone who likes fun, mellow, feel-good, non-pretentious music. Two enthusiastic thumbs up."

Surfing paradise

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 06/01/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First listen to Jack Johnson's new CD "To the sea" and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's more of the same. Johnson's music invokes images of guitar playing on the beach by a campfire and this is no different.



"You and your heart" opens the album in jaunty form and is catchy, it became his first US top 20 hit a few weeks back. "To the sea" is a lulling ditty with quivery guitars and an edgy guitar solo.



The Blues-tinged "At or with me" has a nice start-stop effect with the instrumentation. The brief "When I look up" reminds one of The Beach Boys, while "From the clouds" has a light Reggae lilt. "My little girl" is a tender acoustic ballad with lyrics that sound like a father's wise words to his child.



"Turn your love" is calming with wonderful harmonies, while "The upsetter" features slightly complex rhythms. The cleverly titled "Pictures of people taking pictures" is an absolute gem, as is the quivering "Only the ocean".



So yes, it is more of the same at first listen, but with just the right tweaks and nuances making it one of his most upbeat and diverse collections yet."

Essential Jack: Good for the Ears, Earth and the Soul

M. C. Tolen | Tulsa, OK | 06/02/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's cut to the chase: if you have all Jack's other albums you've already bought this album or will (and you should, it's essential Jack johnson). If your interest in Jack has waned after the Curious George album (which is hard to consider a "true album" IMO) and the more melancholy Sleep Through the Static then I would definitely recommend this, it may renew your love of Jack. Although this album features all the typical elements from Jack's previous albums, I would say it is more akin to "On and On", not as poppy as "In Between Dreams" but more upbeat and enjoyable than "Sleep Through the Static." People (critics especially) give Jack alot of grief for playing the same style of laid back songs and not mixing it up or being "edgy" enough. Personally, I respect Jack mostly for NOT giving in and pandering to the forces and expactations of the biz. I grow tired at times of artists I initially like but get pretentious trying to push the envelope and reinvent themselves only to lose sight of what made them great to begin with. Ultimately, I think all anyone wants are good songs with good melodies, and that's exactly what Jack delivers.

I think "To the Sea" will rank as some of Jack's best work. I loved the catchy upbeat "You and Your Heart" which kicks off the album. I was a little worried upon my first listen when the following two tracks were slower and more melancholy. They're good songs, but I was afraid given that the album is dedicated to his father who recently died of cancer it would sink into being a sad slow album. NOT SO! The album really picks up from there offering a great mix of mostly upbeat, almost "garage rock" at times, tunes as well as island influenced songs and the classic typical folkier mellow tunes with great melodies, messages and harmonies that you would expect from Jack. I really like the rougher mixes and more live sound of the recordings. It really gives you the feel like you're listening to a garage band of great friends playing simple songs together after a day of surfing and hanging out. Which is exactly the case with Jack!! My only real criticism is that at times the songs don't seem to flow together real easily giving the album more of a "cut and paste" feel from whatever songs he'd been working on. Also, sometimes the extra instrumentation of Zach Gill on keyboards serves the song well, but other times it sounds a little too much like ALO and leaves me wishing for an even more stripped down (guitar, bass, drums only) sound like on Jack's first three albums. Overall, its a great enjoyable album that will get plenty of repeat plays this summer and has enough depth to dig into well after that last summer sunset."