This Monday sees the release of Jack Johnson’s latest offering ‘Upside Down’, the first single to be taken from the critically-acclaimed Curious George soundtrack.
Artists often have difficulty writing music for kids’ movies, due to the obvious restraints of needing to keep the lyrics simple enough and making sure that the music fits within the framework of a film soundtrack. This is no problem, however, for the Hawaiian singer-songwriter who infuses his laid-back summery style with lyrics which are uncomplicated enough for children watching Curious George yet deep enough for fans to enjoy the single.
The easy-going nature of ‘Upside Down’ is reminiscent of much of the material on Jack Johnson’s debut album Brushfire Fairytales. When looking for comparisons on that album, the tracks Bubbletoes and Flake are the first to spring to mind. The song ends with the endearing lyrics ‘I don’t want this feeling to go away’, which can be understood in an endless number of ways. While many will interpret his sentiments as referring to the feeling of relaxation that comes with listening to Johnson’s music, children might associate it with the magical feeling absorbed through watching the film.
Jack Johnson has recently revealed that he plans to take a year or two off from recording and touring, and on the strength of his recent material his break is richly-deserved.
