It’s not easy to dismiss Jack Johnson. The golden-haired American singer-songwriter is a child of the ocean and he proves his affection for the water in every song he writes. The surfing soft rock star, born and raised in Hawaii, puts together an affectionate soundscape of sweet and sleepy acoustic ballads, that has become synonymous to the 39-year-old’s songs. From Here to Now to You is Jack’s sixth studio album and picks up from where his previous album To The Sea leaves the soundmark.
Kicking off with a smooth melodic whistle humming along in ‘I Got You’, Jack begins another love story singing in his distinctive laidback vocals “I got you, I got everything”. The dreamy spell picks up pace in ‘Washing Dishes’ and notches the feel-good vibe another scale in a chordy, sing-along campfire-by-the-beachside song. Moving into dark waters, the surfer recalls his punk rock teenage years adding a few sophisticated tones to his sonic offering in ‘Shot Reverse Shot’. The lightheaded rocker fades away to ‘Never Fade’, a guitar-plucking nostalgic piece that echoes of the vintage love at first sight melodies, as Jack sings “It feels good to be the one that you want”.
The band adds some surprising bounce with ‘Tape Deck’ that loops like waves on a shore. The addictive song is a fun narrative of groovy college days and growing up years. The gentle ‘Don’t Believe A Thing I Say’ is simple, soft and soothing but asks some raging questions giving a fleeting glimpse of Jack’s inner thoughts on life and its mysteries. When the sweeping singer gets a little melancholy, which he does a couple of times, he does it in such a pleasant way that the slightly dark sentiments float by like stray clouds. ‘As I Was Saying’ is more countryside groove and takes off in another course in his signature reliable mellow moods. The poignant ‘You Remind Me Of You’ and ‘Ones And Zeroes’ may let you down a bit but quickly fade away from memory as ‘Radiate’ comes by in up-tempo, rhythm-heavy friendly melodies. The bubbly pop nudges “water to your feet” and makes you want to walk along the shoreline listening to this funky track.
The music wizard waves magic in the romantic ballad ‘Change’ that flows along in soft, afterthought musings that glitter with mellow guitar leads and swings. Jack sings off with ‘Home’, a breezy dance number that gets you swaying to the singer’s beachside voice. The home trail he etches in the song is remarkably fresh and closes a full circle as he fades off with “I’ll find my way back to you”. From Here to Now to You is full of fun, love and smooth swings that deserve a listen. The album promises to go down as easily as ice-cold soda pop on a hot summer day on the beach.
