Armchair Pundits

In Between Dreams (A Review)

About five weeks ago, I was coming out of a luncheon at Khan's Mongolian with a few of my colleagues. I had carpooled from the office and my friend, with whom I rode to the meeting, had to leave diretly from the restaurant for antoher engagement. Thus, I hitched a ride back to the office with fellow blog-mate, Sariesocks.

As is apparent from her Pundits Profile, Sariesocks has an eclectic taste in music. That afternoon she was spinning some tunes which were completely unfamiliar to me. Inquiring as to what we were listening to, I learned that the folksy melodies we were enjoying , were from Jack Johnson's In Between Dreams album.

Perhaps some of you are scratching your head right about now, wondering who in tarnation is Jack Johnson? Such a response would be consistent with my own. Apparently, Mr. J is a Cities97 mainstay, although I've yet to hear one track of his on that station, or the radio for that matter.

Now lest anyone freak out at me regarding my cultural ineptitude, keep in mind that I don't get out that much, and for what it's worth, tend to be a channel surfer, so in all liklihood, it's just that I'm never tuned in at the right times. That being said, I find it amusing that JJ's name shows up on Cities97 bilboards all over town and I've yet to hear him there, but I have stayed to long on this point already.

The ride back to the office couldn't have taken more than two songs, but I liked what I heard. Lots of acoustic work with vocals that were readily discernible to my thick ear. Long-short, a copy of the album was procured and has basically been in my disc player since. So obviously, I have found the album favorable.

I like several things about this particular album. As mentioned, the guitar work is smart, crisp and is comprised of good solid rhythms. Lyrically, Johnson's ability to rhyme is showcased particularly well on Sitting, Waiting, Wishing (click on the link within for video and sample), Staple It Together and Crying Shame. The latter reflects a portentious warning about the direction of our nation. The song is intelligent both in lyric and accompaniment, and is my favorite on the album despite the politicaly overtones.

Another feature of interest for me, is contained in the fact that Johnson is Hawaiian. The orchestration and poetry of the album reflect his roots both musically and geographically. While it is too early (career wise), to say Johnson is a great ballader, his writing can be bard-like. Captivating at times, Johnson is able to conjure up some catchy hooks in his songs. Such hooks work well in communicating his art. Whether innocent and fun like on Bannana Pancakes or in the more serious tenor of Good People, where Johnson decries the lack of positive role-models in (and the numbing effect of) media, and seemingly news media in particular (I may be stretching with that but go read the lyrics); he gets his point across in an effective and catchy manner.

In fact, I have often found myself humming a tune or two, which usually strikes fear into the hearts of my co-workers, lest I break out in song, which I've been known to do. In Between Dreams appears to be Jack Johnson's fifth album, even though it is my introduction to his art. Undoubtedly, some of our readers are probably fairly acclimated already. That being said, I liked almost every song with the first 2/3rds being the strongest on the album. I'd give 4 out of 5 stars, and believe it be an album worth owning.

Post Script: That's it for me this week. Stay tuned next week, for Grisby & Squirrel "At The Movies", where we'll review the latest blockbuster, Batman Begins. Have a great weekend!

posted by Grisby @ 2:56 PM