Like Jackson Browne’s haircut, some things are almost guaranteed never to change over the course of a rock and roll career. In that case, you can bet that Jack Johnson won’t be changing his style any time soon. A laid-back cool acoustic guitar technique built over soulful vocals, that has evoked countless guys to pick up and learn the acoustic guitar. In the meantime, Johnson remains the envy of countless other guys; as there is no denying his success at accumulating packs of adoring female fans.
So,
On and On continues on and on exactly where Johnson’s debut release,
Brushfire Fairytales left off - like the beach party had never ended. Not that this is a bad thing, as Johnson has helped to rewrite the book on
catchy folk pop warped in a ray of jovial good vibes. But, wouldn’t you be if you surfed and played guitar for a living?
The un-sung heroes of Johnson’ s success are Adam Topol and Merlo Podlewski on drums and bass, whose snappy and steady beats have given Jackson an even keel of folk and funk, making him accessible to jam and non-jam fans alike. Topol and Podlewski continue to flourish on this collection, while keeping the melodies from drifting into shallow water.
"Taylor" shuffles with a catchy groovy guitar riff that evokes one word - "chill." Perhaps Johnson’s strongest song to date- "Gone" - a simple but strong statement that is coffee house Sublime. You can bet Brad Nowell would be digging Johnson’s gig today, as musically, the two appear eerily similar.
"Wasting Time" splashes along in a tank of reggae, built around a hauntingly addictive island electric guitar melody. "Holes to Heaven" bounces in a familiar 80’s melody, that carries the Johnson sound into new pop song structures. "Rodeo Clowns," perhaps one of the largest sounding acoustic numbers going, is a carousel of good vibrations, that is destined to be dressed in a full-on electric outfit. Meanwhile, "Mediocre Bad Guys" as in "Wasting Time," cleverly showcases Johnson’s unique talent of grabbing words that otherwise sound like broken phases, gel in both melody and beat.
There are some down points throughout, as "Tomorrow Morning" drags in a 60’s doo-wop nostalgia that can make you want to run for the forward track, while "Fall Line " making the most of Johnson’ s trademark nah nah’s, are a bit too been-there done that. "Symbol in My Driveway" slowly creeps in a classic rock chords that you’ve heard a million times before, and ends the recording on a dire note.
In the end, it’s promising to witness that Johnson knows where he excels, while not fidgeting his style in attempting to sound like the artist he’s not. For Jack Johnson fans,
On and On is right on, while for anyone else, it will either click after a number of listens or become a superficial nightmare. With the pressure of following up to
Brushfire Fairytales, perhaps the biggest surprise record since…. Sublime, Johnson has come out of the wave standing.
