In Between Dreams [Digipak] by Jack Johnson

Remember those York Peppermint Patty commercials from back in the day? "When I bite into a York Peppermint Patty, I feel like I'm transported back into the ice age, and I'm sledding with dinosaurs!"

Or something like that.

Jack Johnson is definitely someone I can apply that theory to. When I put on a Jack Johnson CD, I picture wide open spaces, lots of water and sand. Friendly people, and eternal life in 3/4 shorts and flip-flops. I step back and look at my Dilbert-esque frenzied, claustrophobic New York City lifestyle and think "Hey...I want some of that". Listening to a Jack CD is a temporary break from my lifestyle. For an hour, I can immerse myself into the loose-limbed, airy grooves that Jack and his band cook up and fool myself into thinking that I have something vaguely resembling a peaceful existence.

The Hawaiian-born singer/songwriter/surfer has personified the word mellow over the course of three albums-each one better (and more successful) than the one that preceded it. "In Between Dreams" doesn't offer much variation on the formula that made "Brushfire Fairytales" and "On & On" successful, but as artists ranging from James Taylor to Dave Matthews know: if a style ain't broke, don't fix it.

Topically, Jack has two types of songs: love songs, and songs that look out on our rushed, back-stabbing, money-hungry society with concerned bemusement. And unlike many other artists who take the heavy-handed approach when it comes to anything remotely socially conscious, Jack voice and lyrics convey sort of an innocent wordliness. Like "I know these things aren't right, so why are people doing them?". It's refreshing, if you ask me.

One thing that sort of made this album stand out for me is that there are songs on here that you can ALMOST dance to. Jack's got one helluva rhythm section in Adam Topol (drums) and Merlo Podlewski (bass), and along with Jack on (primarily...I wanna say exclusively but not sure) acoustic guitar, songs like "Never Know" and "Staple It Together" are infused with an organic funkiness. "Never Know", probably my favorite song on the album, also introduces the big pop chorus to a Jack Johnson album.

Of course, there are also little almost mini-songs. Proof that a point can be made just as eaily intwo minutes as four. Like "Belle", where Jack sings 3/4 of the song's 1 verse in French. Or "If I Could", where Jack takes the "one death leads to another birth" theory and explains it in a much more sincere, organic way than...say...Britney in that stupid "Everytime" video.

First single "Sitting, Wishing, Waiting" is about as ornery as the mellow-to-the-point-of-barely-having-a-pulse Johnson gets. This straightforward acoustic pop song finds a frustrated Jack giving his all to a significant other and getting nothing in return. On the rest of the album, Jack plays the more traditional lover role, dreaming of an idyllic existence where he and his significant other can shut off the outside world, sleep in, and make "Banana Pancakes". And have crazy, wild animal sex. But Jack fills in the song with lyrics that make it just about the cutest sex song ever written.

"Do You Remember" seems to be ripped from the pages of Jack's real life, as he sings intimately about being together with someone for almost ten years. It's a fond look back at the beginning of a relationship, and will give all the lovers in the house warm fuzzies. He also re-records "Breakdown", a song that was initially featured on Handsome Boy Modeling School's criminally underrated "White People" album. Jack strips away the production bells & whistles (kazoos, whistling, drumbeat) to reveal it to be a simple song with an easy light-reggae rhythm. I can't decide which version I like better. They each have their charm.

The thing I like most about Jack is that there's no pretense surrounding his music. He's just some guy who picks up his guitar and plays because he wants to. He's not a showy vocalist but he's a great singer-his voice does what it needs to do to convey an emotion. He's not going for an obvious pop hit single (and isn't flossy enough to ever have one). He just sounds like a regular guy, comfortable in his own skin, who jots his thoughts on paper into lyrics, and then plays songs with his band. Simple as that. To some, it's boring. To me, it's something to aspire to.

The lack of bells and whistles has obviously struck a chord with more than a few listeners-Jack's records sell briskly with barely any promotion. And I'm sure a great many of those records are sold to people like me-guys (and girls) who need to put a temporary pause on the craziness of life and want to be reminded that there is a simpler, easier existence out there. His music may be as plain as his name, but "In Between Dreams" serves as a gentle reminder that I need to win the lottery so I can move to Hawaii, learn to play the guitar, and follow in Jack Johnson's footsteps.

Jack Johnson "In Between Dreams"

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

REWIND: "Never Know", "Staple It Together", "Breakdown"

FAST-FORWARD: No obvious fast-forward material here.

Great Music To Play While: Wondering how much weed you would have to smoke to be as mellow as Jack Johnson.