Customer Reviews

Sleep Through The Static

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'd read interviews where Jack Johnson had stated that his next album would feature a different direction with electric guitars. Well, he's not quite right. "Sleep through the static" isn't a radical departure, which is fine by me as what he does is great; Gently rolling surf like acoustic music. One listen to opening cut "All at once", "Enemy", or the lovely "Same girl" tells you that.

Lead single "If I had eyes" is bluesy and upbeat (well, by his standards), and you can hear the subtle difference new band member (pianist Zach Gill) makes to the music. I like the OO OO OOs!! Similar in feel is "What you thought you needed", with light marching beats and lightly buzzing guitars.

"They do they don't" is slower but with edgier (slightly distorted) sounding guitars (I really like this one), while "Hope" is lite reggae. "Adrift" is a tender piano sprinkled bluesy number, lovely!

I guess where there is more of a change in direction is lyrically; title track "Sleep through the static" sees him going political and lyrically references the Iraq war ("we went beyond where we should have gone" he says) or "Go on" (a lovely acoustic/piano ode to his growing brood, presently 2 children), and the very tender "Angel" (about his wife).

As long as you're not expecting a radically different sound, you should enjoy this,that is if you like the guy's music in the first place.

Jack Johnson's soundtrack to the 2006 film Curious George was a winsome piece of folk-pop that kept everything appropriately sunny and superficial. Sleep Through the Static, Johnson's fourth proper LP, has been pitted by publicists and Johnson himself as the melancholic yin to Curious George's carefree yang. By their accounts, this is the record on which the surfer-turned-musician wipes out on the insurmountable tidal wave of real life. He's growing older and watching his children do the same, in an increasingly hostile world. More importantly, he's still reeling from the untimely death of his cousin, Danny Riley (that's him singing backup on "If I Had Eyes"), to whom the album is posthumously dedicated. Sleep Through the Static introduces electric guitar into the mix and--claims Johnson--references his punk-rock roots, all while delving into more mature themes. At least by Jack Johnson standards, it sounds poised to be an immensely dark and difficult album.

It's not, of course, and listeners will instantly find themselves back within the cozy confines of Johnson's all-too-secure environment. Johnson has never been as soulful as Ben Harper, as idiosyncratic as John Mayer or as technically accomplished as Dave Matthews, but he's nothing if not reliable, and the fans who have rocketed him to the top of the charts know exactly what to expect. The album-to-album changes in his sound have been incremental to imperceptible, depending on how closely you listen. And after four installments of largely identical music, the big question is whether devotees will lap this one up with the same satisfaction as they have with the previous three, or whether--like the casual listener--they'll find it rather boring and long in the tooth.

There are minor switch-ups here, but they seem to be guided by the heavy hand of Sleep Through the Static's promoters. For example, Johnson takes the purported stark lament that's supposed to typify his despondency ("All At Once") and sticks it right at the front of the album. I write "purported" because we're meant to hear it as Johnson's troubled cry to a deaf higher power, but its premeditated nature considerably buffers the impact. Johnson questions how to live with tragedy while also dealing in hope ("We could shake it off / And instead we'll plant some seeds"), and the low-slung music is similarly ambivalent. Contemplative, yes; emotionally trying, no. The same goes for the title track, a war protest whose clichés ("Who needs please when we've got guns?") mask Johnson's more visceral reactions. The fact that Johnson uses his head instead of his heart to sort through the muck and shape his songs may be the very thing that keeps the album from realizing itself. It's okay to feel as though the world is caving in when circumstances go this wrong; in light of that, Sleep Through the Static feels a bit too easy.

Those first two songs are about as edgy as this album gets, at least in terms of lyrical subjects. Johnson is a decent poet, but his words have the tendency to float in a river of chloroform with the rest of the music. As such, relatively strong numbers like "Go On"--a bittersweet song about letting his growing children run free--risk passing by unnoticed. That also means that the more lunkheaded ones ("Angel", "Monsoon") don't stick out and derail the flow, so I suppose that the album's soporific tone has its upsides. Previous reviewers have suggested that Sleep Through the Static would benefit from a higher energy level, but I'm not entirely sure I agree. Even when the musicians get worked up, as on "Hope" and "If I Had Eyes," they're not any more effective than they are when they keep it down. What this album and Johnson's career actually need are a few fresh ideas (see: John Mayer's recent transition into blues-rock) and a lot more soul.

I don't mean to sell Sleep Through the Static too short--it can be quite pleasant in the right mood--but as I sat and listened my body itched for something else to do. That's a nice way of saying that Sleep Through the Static is background music, something that feels more appropriate for Starbucks than any environment that requires you to pay attention to what you're hearing. I imagine it wouldn't be this way if Johnson decided to grapple with the static, the way Cat Power might, instead of sleeping through it. Actually, Cat Power is an apt reference point, since Static resembles Power's The Greatest (2006) in both mood and melody--an album I once dismissed as being too pretty and subdued for its own good. Over time, however, its songs took on a stirring potency that characterized it as Cat Power's arguable breakthrough. If The Greatest can do that for me, and doubtlessly quite a few others, perhaps the same fate awaits Sleep Through the Static. Time will tell.

If I could've given this item 3 and a half stars I would've.

I am a Jack Johnson fan from the very beginning, when most people didn't even know the man. Yes, those times when Flake was playing in some stations.

Something happened between In between dreams and this album, and I think it was all because of Curious George!

This album starts off in awesome fashion. As a matter of fact All at Once is an excellent song, and yet, the first time I listened to it I told my wife... "you shouldnt start off an album with such a mellow song". I didnt think that the whole album was going to be like that.

And here's where I agree with a lot of the previous reviewers. Yes people, this album is way too slow. Where did the feel good songs go. Where did the cool guitar riffs and rythms go. What happened to the upbeat songs (ie mudfootball, taylor, holes in heaven, never know, good people, etc)?

Yes, this album is mellow. But there are several songs that I think are worth the while playing over and over again. Among these, Angel, All at once and Same girl.

Why curious george? Cuz, some of the songs sound like some of the slow, depressive lullabies on Curious George soundtrack.

On another note. As much as I love the piano, on this album it tends to shadow the guitar repeatedly, which I hate, since I love the way the man plays the guitar. So thumbs down for the excessive amount of piano.

I will still listen to the cd, but only for very cozy, rainy evenings.

With a bit of strumming of an electric guitar, thus begins the fourth album by Jack Johnson, "Sleep Through The Static." The opening track, "All At Once," sounds a little too reminiscent of the beginning of O.A.R.'s "Heard the World," even though Johnson's lyrics are darker. Right away the listener can tell that Johnson has had some troubling times while writing the songs for this album simply by listening to the lyrics. This album has been advertised as one of Johnson's first albums where he heavily utilizes electric guitar (as opposed to his last albums), but I really couldn't tell too much as the music itself sounded similar to his acoustic works.

"All At Once" plays with a mid-tempo electric guitar strumming and piano. Like most of the album, the sound of this song continues Johnson's laid-back music, but, underneath it all, when you really listen to the lyrics, there's something bleaker. This song is a great opener on an album where Johnson is unsure of his - as well as humanity's - place in the world whereas in his earlier songs he had seemed so sure. By the time the song ends, it quickly transitions into the next song, "Sleep Through the Static." This song reflects - in Johnson's own style - the nation's place in the current war. It seems like most artists today (from Bruce Springsteen to Lenny Kravitz) are all too eager to write about their stances on the war. However, some artists (Springsteen) can write about this subject matter in a catchy yet true way whereas some artists (Kravitz) write songs with poetic lyrics that get too lost in muddled, humdrum music. Unfortunately, this happens here too even though Johnson tries to connect with his listeners by using familiar sounds. And that's what the problem is: Johnson associates a song which he would like the audience to take seriously but delivers it to the same sounds as his previous lighthearted hits. He had better delivery of a life-changing song with "My Own Two Hands" from his Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the film Curious George.

The third song is "Hope" and it continues the mediocre music but, this time, with even more mediocre lyrics. I wasn't too impressed by this song as its chorus is too repetitive (and not in a fun "na na na na na na/na na na na, Hey Jude" kind of way, but in an annoying "when's-this-song-gonna-end-already?" way). "Angel" is one of the true hallmarks of this album and it's unfortunate because the song is only about two minutes long. It's so obvious that Johnson speaks of his children (and even perhaps his wife) with this song as the love he feels for them comes through so effortlessly in just two minutes. "Enemy" is the fifth track and it finds Johnson diving into his poetic lyrics all the while describing his views on his pacifism. It's a nice little song but not too noticeable simply because the song doesn't seem to musically go anywhere. Fortunately, "If I Had Eyes" follows with a Johnson's trademark sound with more noticeable piano and electric guitar. With words speaking of a lost love, it becomes apparent that maybe Johnson should primarily stick to songs about relationships as those are the ones that both sound best and do well on the music countdown charts (i.e. "Flake," "Bubble Toes," "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"). The next track, "Same Girl," has Johnson alone with acoustic guitar, singing a little offbeat love song that is again simply not noticeable and can be heard as merely a preface to the following song.

"What You Thought You Need" is one of the few jewels on this album and Johnson speaks so earnestly in his propositions to his love interest. It's the longest song on the album (at five-and-a-half minutes) and yet it flows so nicely and fast that you might find yourself hitting the repeat button more than once. Track nine is "Adrift" and it finds Johnson romantically contemplating life and mortality. He does some nice work with his voice and I like his little verses that he writes to his children such as, "Your voice is your own/I can't protect it/You'll have to sing/A verse no one has ever known/Don't be afraid/Because no one ever sings alone." This same theme continues into the next song, "Go On," which is slightly more up-tempo. It starts off sounding like a break-up song but quickly establishes itself when Johnson breaks into the lyric, "We're bound by blood that's moving/From the moment that we start." With his break of an underlying wailing electric guitar, the music is different than anything else on this album and it's a nice breath of fresh air.

Finally, Johnson takes full advantage of having an electric guitar on "They Do, They Don't." With Johnson's laid-back attitude, though, don't expect any Jimi Hendrix-type riffs. He still retains his style all the while addressing his observations on society's hypocrisy. This is yet another glimpse into Johnson's bleaker lyrics and while the music stands out, the song - as a whole - doesn't. Track twelve is a little vignette clocking in at one-and-a-half minutes, entitled "While We Wait." Johnson attempts to turn his poetry into more of a haiku with this song and it doesn't impress in the least. It's such a small song that to spend any more time writing about it would be a waste of space (much of like this song is on this album). "Monsoon" incorporates the ever-so-slightest honky-tonk piano as Johnson's voice rises above its usual mellow tone in the chorus. It's one of the better tunes on this album and would've probably made a better closer for the album. Instead, we get "Losing Keys," which, although has a mix of world weariness and hope, doesn't relay any kind of specific message that so many expect with the end of an album. With this song, it feels as if the album just ends right in the middle. Maybe Jack Johnson has more to come in terms of subject matter like this, dealing with our unknown place in a world that's not quite sure where it's going.

All in all, Jack Johnson's "Sleeping Through The Static" is exactly how I described the song "Enemy": the album doesn't seem to musically go anywhere. It just is. There is no flavor that makes it really stand out among newly released music. Its mediocrity is not appealing and what good songs it does contain can be downloaded from the Internet. I generally do like Jack Johnson's music and I'm hoping there will come a time when we hear more of what made his previous albums so good.

I have to laugh. The buzz on this record was that, "Whoa, its so much DARKER than Curious George." I don't know what I was expecting-- like, did he spend the last two years shooting up in the Chelsea Hotel and listening to Lou Reed's Berlin?

Nuh uh. This is an instantly likable record, not a kids' record to be sure, but then that one was the anomaly. I will say that it feels like gray scale, like Curious George was in Technicolor whereas this is a classy black and white portrait. But really, how dark can the record be when it says on the back cover, "Recorded with 100% solar energy."

And I played it in the car today for my wife, and she liked it, and she happens to have a golden ear.

When I read the other sub-par reviews of this album from JJ on this site, I just figured that they were wrong. They in fact were correct. This album is a big let down when compared to Jack`s first three albums.
Perhaps it was that he recorded the album in L.A. versus Hawaii, who knows ?

The albums is really slow, aside from the single, most songs are mellow and depressing, as opposed to bright and cherry songs released prior by Jack Johnson. His previous records made me excited to go out and live life to its fullest, while this album is so slow that it makes me want to go to sleep. zzzzzzz

Really upset, expected so much more, (not terrible), but not even good, just barely mediocre. Again, I really was hoping for something good and I feel let down.

Jack Johnson continues to make quality music. My favorite song is the title track "Sleep Through The Static". It is an anti war song that advocates peace. I love Jack's vocals and Zach Gill's accordian playing featured here. My other favorite tracks are "If I Had Eyes" and "Hope". These tracks just make me feel good. Zach Gill pulls double duty playing the piano here. "Go On" is a song about a relationship that did not work out. "Angel" is such a romantic track. Jack's acoustic guitar playing is very pretty here. "Losing Keys" is such a laid back sounding song. Adam Topol provides a nice beat on the drums here. "What You Thought You Need" is a track about enjoying the simple things of life. "Adrift" is a very peaceful song. Jack plays the acoustic guitar so effortlessly here. I love this track. This album is very enjoyable and relaxing.

I started to get a feel that Jack's music was in a sort of decline on the last album, In Between Dreams. As someone said, it's not much of a departure, but enough to make you want the old Jack back. I'm a huge fan and still love his stuff, but I still feel Jack's true niche is in the 3-piece set up doing more of the reggae stuff. This album sounds way too much like his tunes on the Curious George Soundtrack, which were a cool departure that suited that film. I expected more out from Sleep Through The Static, but it seems to come up short.
I've never been a fan of adding new members into bands, Counting Crows did that by adding an absurd 3rd guitar player, which is my eyes as a fellow performer and musician was completely unneccessary and took away from their sound. It's the case of trying to do too much, or fill in the gaps. In this case, it's Zach Gill. The guy himself comes from a much "jammier" band ALO, which is even more hippie-sounding than Jack. This new album has too much bounce to it and not enough of that classic, slap back Jack groove in it from his signature acoustic strum. This new addition was evident in Jack's Japan DVD, where Zach plays piano on EVERYTHING. I really think that Jack should use it more sparingly and went a little overboard. I loved the sound and simplicity of the 3 piece. Even Adam Topol's signature high-pitched pop and classic rim shots are gone from the mix, in favor of a very low-pitched and vintage sounding snare drum.
In essence, this album sounds like it's trying to be Conjunction Junction from the 70's on a decent amount of the tracks and it just doesn't suit Jack's talents. Brushfire and On & On still remain high on my all time lists, but this album bums me out. Even the softer songs feel like they are filler and can put someone to sleep. In a nutshell, this album somewhat lost Jack's "islandy" feel. I DO like the electric guitar parts in the album and I feel like there is definitely potential there. Jack, you're awesome, and I'm supremely confident that you're next album will blow this one out of the Hawaiian waters.

I visited a buddy of my in Georgia and stayed in his son's room overnight. On Keegan's dresser was "Sleep Through the Static." I bought Brushfire Fairytales and had "Bubble Toes" go to #5 in my personal top ten. I loved that tune. Then I bought In Between Dreams, listened and enjoyed it, but nothing really popped out at me. Keegan really likes this CD and gave it a glowing recommendation; so I ordered it. I'm glad I did. The laid back acoustic sound appeals to me, although some added emphasis on memorable bass lines would have spiced it for me. Johnson's voice is pleasant and touches on gentle emotions. The weakest part of his work is his sense of melody that isn't distinctive and tends to make one track bleed into the next. "If I Had Eyes" & "Monsoon" have good energy. My favorite track is the soft "Angel" with its celebration of love, "You've got to be careful when you've got good love cause them angels will just keep on multiplying." While "Sleep Through the Static" may not demand front and center on my changer as often as others, it creates a warm glow when it spins. Enjoy!

I hear Jack and I feel relaxed, happy; the kind of music without any special effects, without exaggerations, that makes you feel good. Just feel good.
I also love the fact that he has this enviromental view, the album was recorded with 100% solar energy wich says a lot about Jack and the way he sees life, earth and music.
Get it, you won't regret it.