Track Listing
1. Inaudible Melodies
2. Middle Man
3. Posters
4. Sexy Plexi
5. Flake
6. Bubble Toes
7. Fortunate Fool
8. News, The
9. Drink the Water
10. Mudfootball
11. F-Stop Blues
12. Losing Hope
13. It's All Understood
| Details | | Contributing Artists: | Ben Harper | | Producer: | JP Plunier | | Distributor: | Universal Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel includes: Jack Johnson (vocals, guitar, piano); Ben Harper (slide guitar); Merlo (bass); Adam Topol (drums, percussion); Tommy Jordan (steel drums).
Surfer-turned-rocker Jack Johnson has composed songs for G. Love and Special Sauce, and is signed to Ben Harper's manager's record label, so it's no surprise that his debut turns out to be the kind of laid-back acoustic funk beloved of fans of both those outfits. What is surprising, however, is the unpretentious way these songs are presented--BRUSHFIRE FAIRYTALES is packed with bare-bones arrangements that highlight Johnson's catchy way with a lyric, so that when something unusual happens, such as the steel drums that dimly inhabit the background of "Flake," it's almost shocking.
Johnson's songs are simultaneously well crafted and executed in an almost throwaway manner. "Fortunate Fool" is airy yet acidic--this surfer dude is no airhead--while "F-Stop Blues," on the surface a paean to the surfer lifestyle, is really a lament for wasted time that features Johnson's pleasant, lazy vocals to excellent effect. BRUSHFIRE FAIRYTALES displays the kind of insouciance born of innocence, almost as if no-one involved cared if the album sold ten copies or ten million--and of course that's the attraction.
Editorial Reviews
3 stars out of 5 - ...Johnson's sensitivity is authentic, and there's a chilled freshness and a hip hop lite inflection to his vocals...
Uncut (12/01/2002)
3 stars out of 5 - ...Johnson's songs are wordy and subtly funky, his voice sinewy....Cool...
Mojo (03/01/2003)
3 stars out of 5 - ...It's laidback stuff, subtly melodious and really rather charming...
Q (11/01/2002)
3 stars out of 5 - ...It's laidback stuff, subtly melodious and really rather charming...Mojo (3/03, p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 - ...Johnson's songs are wordy and subtly funky, his voice sinewy....Cool...Uncut (12/02, p.134) - 3 stars out of 5 - ...Johnson's sensitivity is authentic, and there's a chilled freshness and a hip hop lite inflection to his vocals...
Q (11/01/2002)
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