Jack Johnson kicks ass

Since I can't buy the music I want here I just downloaded the new Jack Johnson album off iTunes. It's more than worth it to buy this new album. In Between Dreams is awesome, Jack Johnson continues his melodic breezy pop/folk sound. I listen to it and I just feel so relaxed. It's catchy and carefree and starts out with Better Together, showing off his easygoing strumming as he sings about sitting under a mango tree and "a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving" damn Jack. Never Know offers some vaguely philosophical lyrics "We’re trying, but where is this all leading?/We’ll never know" it's only vague because its a song, but I enjoy it all the same. Then he continues with a little romantic song called Banana Pancakes, a picture of a perfect rainy day, "waking up slow" and making his woman some banana pancakes, love it. Then he continues a nice little song called Good People, kind of an anti-reality show song, what the crap happened to us "Station to station desensitizing the nation." Then, as if you don't know by now, another great song called No Other Way. To me, it says "tranquila" (relax in Spanish) and he's telling his lady that no one has all the answers and maybe the best thing for them is to give in to the natural order and understand that its time to go. Maybe it doesn't say that, but I'm not exactly your common variety optimist. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing is the story of my life, as the prototypical nice guy, I seem to be sitting, waiting, and wishing that some girl would realize that I'm the guy she's looking for but always goes out with the dick but, alas, "Learning loving somebody don’t make them love you." Jack rides a funk-tinged foray which is, in my opinion, the most soulful part of the album with Staple it Together, "staple it together and call it bad weather." Situations, don't really know what this one means yet, but you can see the lyrics and make your own deductions. Crying Shame serves up an antiwar message "By now it’s beginning to show/A number of people are numbers that ain’t coming home" I hate war too. The things that we can't change are what Jack sings about it in If I could "And though you’ve got to go we’ll keep a piece of your soul/One goes out, one comes in" life is a cycle, and "I’d give him more if I could" he adds a little taste of accordion which I find refreshing and welcomed. Breakdown rides a reggae-ish groove and props to Jack for writing another uplifting depressing song in which I find comfort. Oh my jesus, Belle, great short song, its got a latin feel and he sings in five languages also there is more accordion so it almost sounds like Vallenato, its short so I'll put the lyrics here:

Oi lienda (hey pretty girl) Portuguese
Bella che fa? (pretty girl what'd you do) Italian
Bonita, bonita que tal? (beautiful, beautiful how are you?) Spanish
But belle
Je ne comprends pas francais (I don't understand French) French, of course
So you’ll have to speak to me
Some other way

I relate to this song so much because when I first came to Colombia I couldn't talk to the pretty girls, but you can in other ways. In a weird way, not understanding each other linguistically isn't all that bad, less chance to F it all up. He throws in a nice twist with a country like rhythm and lyrics with Do You Remember very nice, very comforting, and it reminds me of so many friends and girlfriends and makes me laugh and smile, it gives me hope "The craziest thing of all is over ten years have gone by/And you’re still mine, we’re locked in time/Let’s Rewind." The final track, Constellations, is a trip through a colorful memory when we all remember that time, the innocence of taking in what's around and not about the problems and trivialities of life. The album is incredible, not too much complexity music wise, but plenty lyrically. If it weren't for music like this, my life would be sad. When I listen to this music, I feel the wind on the beach, letting go, forgetting to analyze my happiness and enjoy the moment. I'm drinking a beer for you Mr. Johnson.