This week, I reviewed new albums from Jack Johnson, Hot Chip and Nada Surf in the Herald. Here, I’ve linked to some of my favorite songs from each. Can you smell the synergy?
Click on the song title to hear each track, or the header to buy the album.
Jack Johnson – Songs from “Sleep Through the Static”
If I Had Eyes — Johnson tosses off some silly lines before cutting to the quick, saying “time doesn’t heal” on the first single from his latest album.
Hope — A chorus of ooh-oohs makes this track sound happy, but is Johnson implying we might be all alone? Decide for yourself
Hot Chip – Songs from “Made in the Dark”
Ready for the Floor — Don’t let the screwed-with vocals turn you off. By 55 seconds in, the song settles into a poppy electronic groove that rivals the Postal Service.
Wrestlers — Outside the occasional electronic bloop, the simple song is just vocals, piano and hand claps.
One Pure Thought — The clangor of guitar that starts this number is nice, but what really sells it for me is the way Alexis Taylor’s line “I won’t be on my way,” which sounds like a tribal chant as he repeats it over and over again.
Nada Surf – Songs from “Lucky”
I Like What You Say — This sunny bit of pop rock optimism is tough to dislike.
See These Bones — This track admittedly is a bit mundane at the get-go, but it gains momentum over its five minutes.
