Jack Johnson - On and On

Laid-back and sun-warmed, On and On is Jack Johnson's 2003 follow-up to Brushfire Fairytales, and it carries a salty island breeze in every groove.

Recorded at The Mango Tree studio in Hawaii with producer Mario Caldato Jr., the album keeps things beautifully simple: Johnson's acoustic guitar and easygoing voice, backed by Adam Topol on drums and percussion and Merlo Podlewski on bass. Across sixteen short songs, he mixes surf-town ease with quiet, thoughtful observations about modern life, the media and the things we think we need.

Times Like These opens the album with gentle reflection, a calm, wise little song that sets the tone. The Horizon Has Been Defeated takes a wry swipe at a world drifting away from nature, while Taylor rolls along on a breezy, playful groove. Gone gently questions material desire with one of Johnson's most memorable refrains.

Nothing here is rushed. The songs float by with a front-porch intimacy, where small details, soft harmonies and gentle rhythms do all the heavy lifting, and the whole record clocks in at well under an hour.

For anyone who wants their weekends to sound a little slower, On and On remains a comforting, easy companion, as good with morning coffee as it is with a sunset.