Home > Denver Music > CD Review > Jack Johnson, 'Sleep Through the Static'

Backstory: Long ago, Jack Johnson was a little-known pro-surfer; now, he's the beachy troubadour as well known for his barefoot demeanor as for the reggae-tinged tunes on albums like this—his fourth.

Why you should care: Johnson just scored a coveted (and unexpected) headliner slot for the Coachella Music Festival in California this April, suggesting that maybe he's interspersed a bit of brawny bite into his sunny standards.

Verdict: Like many other multi-platinum artists (see: Oasis, the later work of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jack Johnson is best known for writing one great song—and then rewriting it over and over again. Other than officially adding his longtime touring keyboard player to the band, nothing's changed here: "Hope" is a singalong, stoner-friendly, inoffensive slacker anthem, "Enemy" is a singalong, stoner-friendly, inoffensive slacker anthem, "They Do, They Don't" is a singalong, stoner-friendly—oh, you get it, don't you? If you're already a fan, there's nothing here that'll change your mind—and if you're already a hater, it’s a near-impossibility that "Sleep Through The Static" will finally win you over.

X-Factor: Johnson claims that his lyrics here are darker than usual, since some address the death of a close friend; they're so subtly rendered, though, that it's likely you won't even notice.

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