Amazon.co.uk Review
Fans of
Willy Porter,
Ben Harper and
G Love will all want to check out the engaging folk and blues-inflected pop of Jack Johnson's
Brushfire Fairytales. Born in Oahu, Hawaii, Johnson--a former surfer and film-school graduate--has a knack for acoustic ballads whose calm surfaces hide a subtle but strong lyrical undertow. "It seems to me that 'maybe' pretty much always means 'no'," sings Johnson on "Flake", which features crony Harper on slide guitar. Production by JP Plunier (who also handles Harper's recordings) is simple and uncluttered: acoustic guitar and drum tracks share the foreground with Johnson's easygoing vocals, which evoke everyone from G Love (who recorded Johnson's "Rodeo Clowns" on his
Philadelphonic) to
Nick Drake to Willy Porter. And while Johnson may not have Porter's guitar chops, these songs have a relaxed beauty and understated depth that reward repeated listening.
--Bill Forman
Description
Surfer-turned-rocker Jack Johnson has composed songs for G.Love and Special Sauce, and is signed to Ben Harper's manager's record label, so it's no surprise that his debut turns out to be the kind of laid-back acoustic funk beloved of fans of both those outfits. What is surprising, however, is theunpretentious way these songs are presented--BRUSHFIRE FAIRYTALES is packed with bare-bones arrangements that highlightJohnson's catchy way with a lyric, so that when something unusual happens, such as the steel drums that dimly inhabit the background of "Flake", it's almost shocking.
Johnson'ssongs are simultaneously well crafted and executed in an almost throwaway manner. "Fortunate Fool" is airy yet acidic--this surfer dude is no airhead--while "F-Stop Blues", on thesurface a paean to the surfer lifestyle, is really a lamentfor wasted time that features Johnson's pleasant, lazy vocals to excellent effect. BRUSHFIRE FAIRYTALES displays the kind of insouciance born of innocence, almost as if no-one involved cared if the album sold ten copies or ten million--andof course that's the attraction.
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