There are some musicians whose music automatically gives you the feeling that you're in a completely different location. A lot of The Beach Boys hits give you the sense you're on a beach in a blast from the past with Frankie and Annette; The Clash gives you the sound of an underground British punk scene; and singer/songwriter Jack Johnson joins the list of taking you to his home state of Hawaii. Johnson is a talented singer and songwriter who may very well be one of the best under appreciated artists of the year. Not only does his sound inspire the feeling of relaxing under a palm tree on the beach, but the lyrics and music behind the songs make it worth the price.
On his new and fifth studio album, Sleep Through The Static, Johnson is obviously inspired by his roots of soothing music, surf ambiance, and simple guitar chords to put you in a mellow relaxing mood.
That mellow sound is both the positive and negative of this album, it can be at times a bit too relaxing. If I were to listen to this album before going to bed or laying out on a sunny day, it's absolutely perfect to let your mind drift away into another state. However, listening to it on your MP3 player during your first hour of work is going to make you dreary, unless of course you work in a fast paced environment and need some break music.
