In Between Dreams [Digipak] by Jack Johnson

The great thing about the guitar is that it can be as much of a rhythmic instrument as it can be a melodic one. Throw in a few slaps along with your strums and you practically don't even need a band! The guitar is an instrument with so much to say.

The "man and his guitar" act is nothing new; we have seen artists like Duncan Sheik, John Mayer and Howie Day go a long way with minimal to no assistance, and still make great music in the process.

Jack Johnson is not alone. One viewing of his video to "Sitting, Wishing, Waiting" (is that a cool video or what!), and the camaraderie between him and his fellow players couldn't be any more obvious.

But the true magic of Jack's latest album, In Between Dreams, seems to be at its most spellbinding when it's just him and the guitar. "Banana Pancakes" (always the first song I think of when I see the cover, maybe it's the yellow?) is an ideal display of Jack's chord-spelunking ability. Every chord in this song seems to have some "odd note" thrown in that adds a playful bit o' honey to it. The way Jack sings often sounds as if he were just lying next to you on the grass or (gasp) in bed, a scenario for which no abundance of volume is needed. It's all very personal, very cabin-in-the-woods.

Pretend like it's the weekend now
We could pretend it all the time
Can't you see that it's just raining
There ain't no need to go outside

The opener, "Better Together" is just as peaceful. Jack slides effortlessly into the chorus with sliding guitar lickage so smooth you can almost see his fingers right in front of you. The lyrics don't sound like they came from a rocket scientist, but then thank God for that.

It's not always easy
And sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing
It's always better when we're together

I kind of like the way he takes care to pronounce the "oo" sound in "together". Sting tends to do that a lot too.

Of course if you're looking for a more lush, intense sound, sure you're not going to get anything as eye-popping as, say, the electrically charged romp that is John Mayer's "Only Heart". But there are a few tracks here worthy of cranking it up all the same.

"Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" was the first Jack Johnson song I ever heard in my life, and I still remember where I was when I heard it. I was pretty surprised. I didn't expect it to be so fast, have actual drums, or boast such a disarming melody.

But then I go and listen to the CD, on which "Sitting..." doesn't emerge until the 6th slot. Well, by the time you've heard the first five songs, you've kind of gotten used to the taste, then "Sitting" sounds a wee bit different, as in more mellow. Somehow, it fits in better with the caramel-thick insistence of the rest of the album on a more mellowish tone. If you put "Jack Johnson" in a sentence, chances are probably around 33% that the word "mellow" will also be in that sentence.

"Staple It Together" is a fun singalong tune, not quite as intimidating as an Eminem track (why I'm even bringing that stool up in this review, I have no clue) but a fast-paced, bluesy romp about a guy who is past the point of rescue with his life...

He's moving on before he understood
He shot the future in the foot with every step he took
From the places that he's been
'Cause he forgot to look

Better staple it together and call it bad weather

You'll still get your dose of shimmering pop melodies. "Never Know" is a sweet, wandering introspecfest about life that just begs you to stomp to its swagger, where "Good People" is an equally friendly but more urgent number about all the garbage on TV. Apparently, Jack shares my belief in art imitating life imitating art.

You win, it's your show now
So what's it going to be?
Because people will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see?

My personal favorite for the time being has to be "Breakdown". So much of it I connect with, the lyrics, the somber melody. It's this close to being depressing, except that when I hear it, I know I'm not alone. That turns despair right upside down and into hope.

All the people in the street
That I'll never get to meet
If these tracks don't bend somehow
And I got no time that I got to get
To where I don't need to be

So I need this here old train to break down
Oh please just let me break down

I could try and describe the rest of the album to you, but I'd just end up saying the same thing over and over. I haven't heard Jack's previous albums, and from what I hear they are mostly more or the same.

But In Between Dreams does make me want to hear the rest of his stuff. In essence, couldn't the same hold true the other way around? For that I feel I can deem this album recommendable.

And hey, it's no coincidence that ever since Jack Johnson first emerged on the scene, people stopped using the expression "Take a chill pill!"