‘In Between Dreams’ by Jack Johnson

I’ve been sitting on this for a fair while. Listened to it ages ago – and actually, it’s been on heavy rotation in the house since the Christmas music went away – but I just haven’t worked out what to say about it. The problem with this album is that it’s so straightforward, so undemanding, that it almost defies description. Trouble is, as soon as you say that, it sounds like a massive criticism, and it’s not meant to be, as this is a very fine record. I listened to ‘Brushfire Fairytales’ a few weeks ago, and it’s best track (‘Flake’ – if you think otherwise, you’re wrong) is matched, quality-wise, by almost everything on ‘In Between Dreams’.

So, it’s easy to listen to, but it has a warmth and a lightness of touch that’s hugely enjoyable. Johnson’s songwriting and vocal delivery have both developed well since his first two albums. Most of it is fairly simple, whether in the one-man-and-his-guitar tracks of ‘Do You Remember’ or the loose-acoustic-rock style of ‘Good People’, but there are some more ambitious moments – the close harmonies of ‘Staple It Together’, say. And that’s it, really. Let it wash over you. All done.

‘Brushfire Fairytales’ by Jack Johnson

‘Brushfire Fairytales’ was the first full length album by Jack Johnson. It was a modest success on its release, but like most people, I only heard it years later following the release of ‘In Between Dreams’ four years later. It’s an album free of shocks. Johnson is a good singer and songwriter, but he’s not an artist with an enormous amount of progression in his career. ‘Brushfire Fairytales’, therefore, is very similar to ‘In Between Dreams’, but that’s not a bad thing in and of itself.

In fact, there is some progression. This album, while being a fine debut, isn’t as good as later albums would become, simply because Johnson would improve as a songwriter. When this album hits its peaks, it’s excellent. ‘Middleman’, ‘Mudwater’ and the fantastic ‘Flake’ are all songs that bear repeated listening. Generally, it’s when Johnson’s band come into play that the songs come to life. There’s little complexity in his rhythm sections, but bass and drums give his songs a real boost. It’s the tracks he does alone with his guitar that drag a little. On later albums, these tracks would be delicate and charming – here, they’re just a bit bland.

Still, Johnson himself seems quite content for people to use his music as a background accompaniment to life, and this album is certainly good enough for that.