Rating: NN
It’s almost impossible to browse through a music store without encountering a truckload of artists who’ve been associated with Jack Johnson. Donavon Frankenreiter has not only collaborated with the sleepy singer-songwriter, but he also used to rent a house from Johnson’s parents. This close association could only mean one thing: Frankenreiter was destined to write a snoozy first album. Fortunately, the Californian’s second disc, released on Lost Highway instead of Johnson’s Brushfire Records, features genuine exuberance. Opener Move By Yourself has a solid dance-funk vibe, while All Around Us has more soul than his entire last record. But Frankenreiter can’t escape from his weak, laid-back summertime songs which makes the end result only slightly less boring than his first attempt.