#8: Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams (2005)

Sometimes it's cool to hate Jack Johnson. I mean the guy wears shoes that look like feet. It's easy to pick on his laid back style, but he does it better than anyone else I've ever heard. It doesn't matter how bad of a day I've had - JJ keeps it cool, keeps it casual.

Better Together

While Billy Joel and Ben Folds make me question why I'd ever leave the piano, Jack Johnson continually asks me why I don't own an acoustic guitar... 'Better Together' is the perfect example of what a Jack Johnson song is: A solid, beautiful, broken bass line that keeps the song going under the rich pickings of a guitar with sweet nothings being whispered in your ear. It sounds lame on paper but it sounds amazing in your ears.

Banana Pancakes

Is there a better JJ song? The idea of the song is that it's raining - let's not go outside, let's stay in and make Banana Pancakes and pretend it's the weekend. If I ever met a woman who loved Jack Johnson and sang these words to me, I think I'd be sold. While the music is incredibly solid throughout, the lyrics really get me, especially on the bridge.

If I Could

It was so hard to choose this last song, it was either this or 'Crying Shame'. However, the lyrics on this song tear me apart. "I heard some words from a friend on the phone, didn't sound so good. The doctor gave him 2 weeks to live, I'd give him more if I could. You that I would now, if only I could. You that I would now, if only I could." Chills everytime, never fails. 

If you've enjoyed some of his music, you'll enjoy the rest of his album. I hate to say it's just more of the same, but really it is. That's why I've continued to love this album since the day I first heard it. There's not one bad track on this record. It's hard to say if JJ will stand the test of time, but for the moment I enjoy riding the feeling day in and day out.

Tomorrow's album: Fats Domino's This is Fats (1956)