Jack Johnson's "To The Sea"

"Pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures." ~Jack Johnson

I am live reviewing the Jack Johnson album, To The Sea. First listen, first impressions and all that. Partially to prove this isn’t just going to be a music video section, we’ve got class around here and can totally write words about sounds. I am not certain this is in the same track order as on the album so I’m including the number indicating the order I’m listening and the title of the track. I’m rating each song on the scale of J-Nelsons. If you’re unfamiliar with this scale, consult a scientist, they ought to be able to better inform you of the J-Nelson scale.

1. You and Your Heart – It’s a nice way to start off an album, gets the listener right into the thick of things with the gentle but slightly twangy riffs on the guitar. Johnson’s voice always has that “hey I’ve been loafing at the beach all day” kind of tone and it jibes fairly well with the melody on this song. I’m a fan already of this track. He says that we shouldn’t feel so far from our hearts and I kind of think that’s a nice little line to throw in. In a way, listen to your heart. As I near the end of the song I’m finally able to place what the music sounds like. If you listened to any of the songs off Johnson’s Curious George soundtrack, this tune would fit right in and I think it might have been a leftover. 4/5 J-Nelsons
2. To The Sea – This is the title track and it’s more of an homage to the older Johnson that first turned me into a fan. It’s that chilled out, slow beat, stoner song to play for a happy day at the beach smoking your reefers and jazz cigarettes and throwing the old Frisbee around. It’s generally a hippy dippy diddly type of stoner jam. 3.5/5 J-Nelsons
3. No Good With Faces – He says he’s no good with faces and he’s bad with names. I’m good with faces but terrible with names. I default to giving people nicknames because I can’t remember their names. One thing I have noticed is that if it’s a pretty gal and I want to make the sex with her, I tend to remember all kinds of details, including the name. I think it’s just because I normally don’t care about most stuff and I feel that new people are either generally boring or I want to have sex with them. This song feels like a “Banana Pancakes” kind of tune but it’s got a sadness to the lyrics. I think there comes a time in every man’s life where he becomes aware that he’s aging and time will run out sooner or later. 3/5 J-Nelsons
4. At or With Me – This is an up-beat stoner anthem song. “Are they laughing at or with me?” I always ask that and the answer is always “who cares?” and the tone of the song seems to show off the same mentality. Times are tough and Johnson gives us this bubbly “hey brother, don’t worry about it, it’ll be all right” tune. I can imagine playing this somewhere while slow cruising a neighborhood hollering at some fly honeys. 4.5/5 J-Nelsons
5. When I Look Up – My first impression with the faint female backing vocal and the bells is church music. It’s ok but it seems like a filler/goofy/oddball track. It’s a poem he put music to and you can clearly tell. Most songs are kind of like that but this goes above and beyond, like a jazz night song at the local hipster coffee shop. 1/5 J-Nelsons
6. From the Clouds – This is more of a head-bobber than a toe tapper, solid nonetheless. A little more electrical on the riffs than I like in most of my Jack Johnson songs but the beat keeps me listening. Again, this song feels like a happy-go-lucky track to listen to while wearing a yellow suit and chasing a monkey. It’s a love ballad though, sure and certain, Mr. Johnson has a lot of love to give, or so it would seem from his songs. Listening to this you just know he wrote it with one special lady in mind. He’s such a romantic. 4/5 J-Nelsons
7. My Little Girl – Another love song. A stoner/surfer slow jam to put on when you and your hippy lady are going to go and make the sexy times. I want to light some candles and break out the boxed wine just listening to his smooth voice crooning at me right now. I’m not even embarrassed to say I’m getting a little aroused. This is not a jam to play when your mother is around because this song means business, and by business, I mean the sexy kind. Definitely 5/5 J-Nelsons
8. Turn Your Love – Jack Johnson could get boy band level ass if he wanted to. This is just a slow jam; it’d be perfect around a campfire. Enjoying some warm drinks and toasted marshmallows would be the an excellent accompaniment. I get an image of a fall evening, just starting to get the fire going as the sun sets and dusk rolls through to the darker night sky. Maybe get a friend, lady or gentleman if that’s your thing, and get this whole album and toss it in the stereo for a campfire romance or just a cool, chill, getting stoned kind of evening. 4.5/5 J-Nelsons
9. The Upsetter – Immediately sense a kind of reggae influence, maybe there’s a steel drum in there somewhere and that’s what I’m picking up. After the intro it kind of melts into a more traditional kind of Johnson tune but the underlying “tonk tonk tonk” makes this more of a beach song. A pig roast might be happening somewhere off in the distance and the smell would waft over to the little beach party this song makes me imagine. 2.5/5 J-Nelsons
10. Pictures of People Taking Pictures – Aside from an entirely too meta title, the song itself is a slower repetitive, slightly funky jam. If it had a quicker tempo I might really get into this jam, as is, the lyrics are kind of fun to say and decidedly self-referential but alas, it’s not that great. 2/5 J-Nelsons
11. Anything but the Truth – This song is to be played in all coffee houses in all of the world. It’s a wonderfully metaphorically lyrical little diddy but I can’t imagine this really being played in any situation other than while enjoying a cup of coffee looking out the window on a rainy day. Slow and smooth, enjoy it over a huge mug of tea or black coffee. Put some ice in the coffee though because they normally serve those too hot and anything too hot just wouldn’t sip too well with this jam. Make sure you watch the people as this song plays, it’s a very walking paced song, if that makes sense. 3.5/5 J-Nelsons
12. Only The Ocean – Too electric for the intro. Once the reverb or whatever gets turned down for the first verse, it’s not so bad. It’s another slow song, one of the slowest yet and it sounds like another one of those love songs he’s so well known for. A woman rolls over you and pulls you in, just like the old ocean. She’s not salty like the sea, she’s sweet like sugar cane. She’s a tempting mistress and easy to fall into or in love with, at least this is what I’d imagine he’s trying to say in this song. 4/5 J-Nelsons

In summary, I’d acquire this album if you like to jam out to some sweet stoner love songs and beach music or campfire tunes. It’s a good album for a fall evening and yes, I am missing the Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology track and it sounds like it might have been the coolest on the album. I was sad about that. Overall, Jack Johnson’s To The Sea gets 3.45/5 J-Nelsons