Read Time:1 Minute, 20 Second
My study of mellow summer music (which began with my review of Jason Mraz’s Waiting
For My Rocket to Come) continues with Jack Johnson’s On and On. Like Mraz’s
music, Johnson’s music is mostly relaxed and guitar-based. But Johnson is less goofy and
more soft and poetic—with vocals that are dreamy and sometimes almost whisper-like.
On and On is an album that’s best enjoyed on the beach (preferably
on a tropical island, but any beach will do) with a tropical drink in hand (come to think
of it, it’s making me crave a strawberry daiquiri). You can picture Johnson wearing
baggy cut-offs and strumming his guitar while lounging in a beach chair, shaded by a palm
tree. The beats are relaxed and tropical—but Johnson is a lot more smooth and subtle
than someone like Jimmy Buffett. Songs like “Wasting Time” and “Cupid” are quietly
seductive. Others tell stories. Still others, like “Gone” and “Cookie Jar,” make
powerful points—about materialism or about accepting responsibility for the problems in
the world. In that way, Johnson fits right in with his brothers in
tropical-music-with-a-message (think Bob Marley, only not quite as bold and
defiant).
Still, if you don’t listen too closely (or read the lyrics, like
I always do), you won’t really notice the serious stuff. You’ll just sit back and enjoy
a cool, easy-going album that’s great for a lazy day on the beach. And while you’re at
it, flag down the waiter and order me a daiquiri.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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