Amazon.co.uk Review
Jack Johnson's 5th studio album has been highly anticipated, not only because it's been a while since his last recording (
In Between Dreams), but also because it's his first 'electric' (as in guitar) album. But despite being co-produced by JP Plunier--the man that produces Ben Harper and the mastermind behind
Brushfire Fairytales-specifically to shake things up,
Sleep Through the Static isn't that much of a departure after all. The mix of mellow sing-a-longs and slacker ballads are very much in line with earlier work, even if they do feel a little more mature and come with piano flourishes by new band member Zach Gill. The new maturity is evident not only in Johnson's lyrics, which deal with everything from his new life as a father to the Iraq war, but also from the song arrangements, which foreswear the bigger hooks of previous albums for a more even flow. If that sounds like the album fails to push the envelope musically, it should. The songs here are consistently good, but they're not groundbreaking. It might feel to some like an opportunity missed; but on the other hand Sleep Through The Static is full of what Johnson does best: easy-going campfire songs infused with that eternal stoner-slacker spirit.
--Paul Sullivan