You can't really blame Jack Johnson when it comes to not changing his "if it ain't broke don't fix it" approach to his surfer dude music motif (you know, something 311 should have considered long ago because now they, uh . . . suck). No one else is peddling this kind of G. Love lite schtik at the moment, and it seems that Johnson has done a good job of cornering the hang ten market. It also helps the dude's likeability factor that Johnson is a down-to-earth regular guy who could care less if he's recording albums or surfing the north shore (a place I regrettably had to leave just this very week).

In Between Dreams is yet another crowd-pleasing affair for the ears, whether you're a beach bum or a desk jockey. Just like Brushfire Fairytales and On and On, In Between Dreams is like a soundtrack to a day of hanging out on the beach, and this is actually the sunniest record yet in his ongoing catalog. Songs such as "Never Know" and "Banana Pancakes" just radiate swaying palm trees and beautiful sunsets, and Johnson even changes it up a bit on the French-flavored accordion heavy "Belle," which actually works in his favor. In Between Dreams certainly isn't rocket science, but then again does everything always have to be? Sometimes it's just nice to have an album that you can listen to in peace, and just shut your brain off for forty minutes In Between Dreams definitely fits this bill to a tee.