Few musicians sound as intimate as Jack Johnson. Perhaps that is the secret of the singing surfer who sold millions of albums worldwide. Already in the first lines of his album Sleep Through The Static, he confides in the listener. 'All at once / the world can overwhelm me / There is almost nothing that you could tell me / that could ease my mind'. The voice is recorded so instantly that Johnson
… seems to whisper in your ear. The band sound is equally cozy, with the musicians appearing to play softly so as not to disturb the neighbors. Wings, folk, reggae and pop come together in songs that can be hummed after one listen. Any musical development cannot be discovered on this fifth album either: Johnson has now found his voice and is not tempted to musical adventures. That is not bad. In a world that, as he sang himself, can easily overwhelm Jack Johnson's music offers a soothing oasis of calm. (MS)more