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The genre-blending charm and sweetness that made Brushfire Fairytales and On and On so nice doesn't change that much, but does it really have to change?
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The drifting chords and soft voice are still in place, only now Johnson's instinct for melody has sharpened alongside his ability to self-edit.
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BlenderAn assured yet curiously unsatisfying shamble. [Apr 2005, p.119]
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As one dimensional and unadventurous as it may be, In Between Dreams is stronger than 2003's patchy On And On, instantly accessible and just really quite pleasant.
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There's a little reggae touch here, some mild folk there, but mostly Johnson just excels at creating gentle background music that sways like the waves and feels twice as cool.
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Entertainment WeeklyHe's so laid-back, it's hard to tell when he's worked up. In more encouraging news, his tunes are meatier. [4 Mar 2005, p.72]
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MojoA rare feat: gentle and kind without becoming soppy or daft. [May 2005, p.109]
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Listening to the surfer/artist’s third album is like sitting on a barstool alongside a good friend, knocking back pints and rappin’ it down about, y’know, life and whatever.
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Fortunately, the delivery has far more in common with Brushfire Fairytales than it does with On and On; rather than continue the "random thoughts put to music" feel of the latter album, songs actually have distinct verses and choruses as on the former, a formula that works much, much better for Johnson.
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After nearly a half-decade of records, Johnson still hasn’t learned anything about time signatures or experimentation, but at least he knows what he does best and sticks to it.
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Q MagazineHis best work to date because, at last, he actually sounds awake--even if much of the record remains music for dozing in hammocks to. [Apr 2005, p.122]
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Johnson appears to think that his smooth acoustic surfer music might need a retooling to reflect this scary new world.
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SpinDoesn't build much on the Buffett ease and placeless island rhythms of Johnson's previous albums, but hey, ambition is for the ambitious. [Apr 2005, p.102]
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The New York TimesThe songs on "In Between Dreams" (Universal) are so light and self-effacing they might scatter in a tropical breeze. [13 Mar 2005]
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UncutThese languid strums would sound suitably fine and mellow stoned on a beach at sunset. [May 2005, p.95]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 125 out of 147
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Mixed: 9 out of 147
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Negative: 13 out of 147
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Jan 17, 2011
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Oct 25, 2021
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Apr 4, 2021Probably my favourite album ever! I love every song on it! And would always hear it when i was growing up! JJ is easily my favourite artist ever!