Sleep Through the Static is a Snore

Be careful, because upon first listen Jack Johnson’s new album, Sleep through the Static, may actually cause you to doze off. Renowned for his melancholy feel-good tunes, Johnson was simply not innovative enough for the critical eardrums of today with his newest album.

My initial reaction to the CD was perhaps I had put in the wrong one and was listening to the songs of Johnson’s past album, In Between Dreams. The message here is: singing about “banana pancakes” and “sitting, waiting, and wishing” for the right girl can only go so far. If you took away the lyrics, the songs on “static” would really only be one or two changes in vocals, and a large lack of variation.

It is quite impossible to say that anyone could really hate Johnson’s music, since it truly is so uplifting, and it definitely appeals to the calm and collected souls. But grunge-lovers beware, because Johnson has nothing to offer you. His songs are quite simple and that is what makes them appeal to a mass-audience. I felt as if Johnson was resting on what he knows he can do well and not tapping into his inner creativity.

Even though the album lacks variability it is good at what it is deemed to be: a slightly more modern version of his last album. If I had the choice, In Between Dreams is a much better listen. You almost have to ask yourself if the producers decided to mimic every single song and just change the words. After listening to the first couple of songs I wanted to turn on some 50 Cent or Kanye to wake me up.

There are always those cold Thursday nights when you want to listen to the relaxing lyrics of Jack Johnson while doing homework, but even then you may go crazy with complacency after just a few tracks.

Despite Johnson’s attempt at leaving his banana pancake past and moving on towards a more mature sound, he has not quite accomplished that just yet. The lyrics do have more depth than his previous words, however not enough to be taken seriously by any means.

By far, the best song on the album is “If I Had Eyes.” It has a slightly different tune and utilizes more instruments than the rest. The title track, “Sleep Through the Static” can be summarized in one word: boring. The album mentions sleeping a lot and I am not quite sure why. Maybe the producers realized that they were making basically the exact same album over again and thought they might be more successful at lullabies.

The other problem with this album was the not-really-there allusions. “Sleep Through the Static” is a metaphor for the Iraq war and is confusing to listeners. The reason we all fell in love with Johnson was for his Curious George album and not for his political nuances.

Johnson himself is an avid surfer, which is surprising. He always sings about native Hawaii and his family, but seems to lack the bravery to take the risks that surfers always do. The worst thing a songwriter or a singer can do is lack the innovation to surmise other like-artists. Johnson simply did not move outside his comfort zone and it shows.

If you happen to be in one of those Jack Johnson moods however, try playing “Hope” and “Angel.” Johnson truly does have an amazing voice, and just needs to branch out.

Sleep Through the Static is not the best album of the year, however, it does stay true to what Johnson aims to accomplish in the first place: to lift your spirits. Word of advice: change it up a little.