Jack Johnson - To the Sea

Straight out of Oahu, HI Jack Johnson is back with his much anticipated fifth studio album, To the Sea. Much like his previous effort, 2008's Sleep Through the Static, Jack finds a way to infuse his music with sun drenched melodies that evoke feelings of being at the beach, enjoying the weather and the companionship of those around you. This album is a surefire way to transition into the summer on a positive note.

The album starts off with the breezy first single, "You and Your Heart" an acoustic, melodic gem that finds Jack sticking to his guns and not getting too fancy with a simple, beachgoing jam that sets thing in motion here. The disc's title track is a great example of Jack's easy-going, melodic vocal abilities that permeate through the entire song and carry it along to the very end. "At Or With Me" is a bombastic, fun party jam that features lively acoustic guitars and a wide variety of instrumentation that does a great job of capturing the overall spirit on the album. "From the Clouds" features more of the same beachgoing jams found on the subsequent tracks, albeit at a slower tempo.

The disc's second half begins to take shape with "My Little Girl", a beautiful acoustic driven tune that lets Jack's voice do all the talking as his voice echoes and coos through the entire life of the song without the need for any additional instrumentation. "The Upsetter" is a melodic, fun jam that continues to entertain the listening audience with some tunes that would go along great at a campfire sing along. My favorite song off the album is "Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology", a melodic, vocally impressive tune that will be lodged inside your head for awhile after hearing it.

As we begin to close out the album, we hear "Pictures of People Taking Pictures", a catchy, beach going jam that coasts along beautifully with Jack's strumming acoustic guitar and finely tuned vocal chops. "Anything But the Truth" is a toned down affair with Jack's vocals brought down a notch to accommodate some peaceful and serene melodies to match the emotional intensity of the song. "Only the Ocean" closes out the album on an appropriate note with the feeling that you're looking out at the sun setting over the ocean with absolutely no one around, and allowing you to be one with the ocean. There aren't many albums out there that can articulate so well the feeling of being on the beach and enjoying the kinship of those around you, this album manages to do just that to a T with finely tuned acoustic guitars and Jack's laid-back, easy going vocal style to guide the song along smoothly.

Overall, another successful album from Jack Johnson, who does a masterful job of evoking the energy and spirit of the summertime in his music and uses his home grown talents to send the album into a world all its own.

                                                                                                                                  Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. You and Your Heart
2. To the Sea
3. No Good With Faces
4. At Or With Me
5. When I Look Up
6. From the Clouds
7. My Little Girl
8. Turn Your Love
9. The Upsetter
10. Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology
11. Pictures of People Taking Pictures
12. Anything But the Truth
13. Only the Ocean

As an added bonus, here is the music video for "You and Your Heart". The video features Jack surfing and swimming off the shores of Hawaii. It's a very cool video, check it out!