hstisgod's Full Review: Brushfire Fairytales by Jack Johnson
Envision the moment; It’s 10 a.m. on a beautifully bright spring Saturday morning. As the morning light flows through the window, the scent of your neighbors fresh cut grass subtlely seeps into your nostrils, and so begins your day. But what’s missing? A perfect compliment to this setting is any Jack Johnson. album. None more perfect than “Brushfire Fairytales”.. A phenomenal blending of upbeat, singer-songwriter blues, irrevocably irreplaceable once you have been exposed.
Jack Johnson (otherwise known as J.J.) has got the world of music listeners figured out to a science. He will fold your mind and emotions differently from song to song. The stories of love, life and all the rest are found appealing to just about any genre listener from the ages of 10-60. While most of Brushfire Fairytales induces a rock in your chair scenario, it still has the ability to simmer your emotions to the point of closing your eyes, and imagining the view which inspired its very stories.
Perhaps the lyrics of the intro track “Inaudible Memories” peeks into the journey. “Brushfire Fairytales, Itsy bitsy diamond wells. Big fat hurricanes. Yellow bellied given names. Well shortcuts can slow you down. And in the end we're bound. To rebound off of we.” For the following next few tracks, its back and forth storytelling that make for a great bonfire and beer session.
Then we hit the meat of the disc. A good portion of the time, a radio single is chosen out of artistic characteristic. In JJ’s case, Enjoy Records made a wise choice on tracks five and six ,“Flake” , and “Bubble Toes” respectively. “Flake (guest appearance by Ben Harper )” flashes signs of the soul in Johnson as his voice holds each lyric ending. “It seems to me that maybe, It pretty much always means no. So don't tell me you might just let it go And often times we're lazy, It seems to stand in my way. Cause no one no not no one, Likes to be let down” . While these words may seem bitter, negative and even antagonistic, it’s the delivery that sweetens the inspiration to sing along.
Next up is “Bubble Toes”, when his voice entraps you into joining in on the little boy like chants, “La dat dada dat da”. So undeniably rhythmic, you may find yourself going back for more constantly like a dope fiend with the key to an evidence room lockup. “His dreams are like commercials. But her dreams are picture perfect. And our dreams are so related though they're often underestimated”. Drop the guitar and bass (Merlo), cue the drum (Adam Topol) momentarily, and allow your mind to breathe in the memories of the Violent Femmes, as “Blister in the Sun” comes rushing back. Just as the bridge catches familiarity with the 80’s hit, the individual melodies of each instrument come together to repeat the blood pumping intro-verse. “It's as simple as something that nobody knows that. Her eyes are as big as her bubbly toes. On the feet of the queen of the hearts of the cards. And her feet are infested with tar balls”. All of a sudden you have the makings of one catchy a*s song.
Simple methods, and contagious rhythm will follow throughout the remainder of the album. After listen one, this CD will not only replay in your head during those beautiful Saturday mornings, but it may even save you from those predictable gloomy gray skied Mondays. Are you ready to be so fiendishly addicted?
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