It might still be chilly outside, but Jack Johnson's latest disc "In Between Dreams" does its best to make listeners forget that.

With its sparse sound, Johnson, drummer Adam Topol and bassist Merlo Podlewski, craft a head bobbing 14-song set that's further proof the surfer/filmmaker/musician is happy writing fuzzy upbeat tunes that slide their way into your subconscious like slow rolling waves.

And you've got to admire him. With three albums under his belt, Hawaii-based Johnson has carved a nice little niche for himself amongst the Phish/Dave Matthews/Ben Harper crowd with his cozy brand of acoustic-led pop.

But this is both the album's strength and its biggest weakness. Its languid pace and overall sameness make the disc great background music. It's the kind of record that's best played while hanging around a campfire, but his legions of fans already know this.

Along the way, Johnson shows the uninitiated he's got all the ingredients to bake up some of the tastiest ballads out there. With its soft acoustic touches, tracks like "No Other Way" and "Constellations" achieve a perfect torchlit ambience.

As always, Johnson is most effective when he pairs his leisurely acoustic jingles with Topol's infectious percussion. "Staple it Together" begins with a neat riff that channels Harper's "Steal My Kisses" and builds to a reggae infused coda, while the slow-motion "Good People" nicely pairs Johnson's syrupy strumming with a steady percussive beat.

And while tracks like "Crying Shame" try to show this surfer dude has some serious political ambitions ("Buy now and save, it's war for peace/ It's the same old game"), Johnson is better at penning breezy boy-girl tunes like the toe tapping "Banana Pancakes" ("Maybe you could sleep in/ I'll make you banana pancakes").

Though "In Between Dreams" does nothing to advance its predecessors mellow candle lit feel, the album's slow grooves are perfect at conjuring pure Hawaiian sunshine. But if you're looking for something a little more caloric the album's airy feel might leave you feeling a little hungry.

Track Listing:

1. Better Together
2. Never Know
3. Banana Pancakes
4. Good People
5. No Other Way
6. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
7. Staple It Together
8. Situations
9. Crying Shame
10. If I Could
11. Breakdown
12. Belle
13. Do You Remember
14. Constellations