Like the son of a surfer he is,
Jack Johnson never makes any of his music sound hard, yet
All the Light Above It Too, his seventh studio set, almost seems like it will drift away on the slightest breeze. Blame its lightness on
Johnson's determination to make this album a series of ten barely dressed demos -- or "sketches," as he calls them. Sometimes, this sparseness accentuates
Johnson's knack for tunes that sound like charming singalong ditties -- "Sunsets for Somebody Else" has more than a modicum of charm -- and this deliberate skeletal crew also means that when a song gets a fuller arrangement, it grabs your attention. In particular "Big Sur," with its effervescent worldbeat rhythms, brings to mind
Paul Simon and
Vampire Weekend, a nice accent to
Johnson's cool Pacific breezes. If the simple production -- so direct, it sometimes barely feels there, although its crisp, clean lines offer a reminder that this is indeed a professional affair made for a major label -- winds up spinning every one of
Johnson's songs so they seem like a miniature; it also captures his appeal.
Johnson never seems to be bothered by much, he always seems to be in good spirits and, at times, his laid-back vibes are infectious, which they certainly are here because he never, ever seems to be trying too hard. He's a back porch strummer and fireside singer, playing for comfort, and that's precisely what
All the Light Above It Too provides. [
All the Light Above It Too was also released on LP.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine