{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = To the Sea | type = Studio | artist = Jack Johnson | cover = tothesea.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|2010|6|1}} | recorded = January 19 – February 12, 2010 | studio = | genre = Folk rock, soft rock | length = 41:34 | label = Brushfire, Universal Republic | producer = {{hlist|Jack Johnson|Merlo Podlewski|Zach Gill|Adam Topol}} | prev_title = En Concert | prev_year = 2009 | next_title = Jack Johnson and Friends - Best of Kokua Festival | next_year = 2012 | misc = {{Singles | name = To the Sea | type = studio | single1 = You and Your Heart | single1date = April 6, 2010 | single2 = At or with Me | single2date = September 2010 | single3 = From the Clouds | single3date = February 2011 }} }} '''''To the Sea''''' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, released on May 26, 2010, in Japan,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.universal-music.co.jp/u-pop/artist/jack_johnson/uicu1197.html |title=ジャック・ジョンソン:トゥ・ザ・シー |publisher=Universal-music.co.jp |access-date=2011-10-15}}</ref> May 31, 2010 in the United Kingdom and June 1, 2010, in the United States, through Universal Republic Records and Brushfire Music Group.<ref name="Mugan">Mugan, Chris (2010) "[http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/03/08/jack-johnson-previews-new-album-tracks-in-london/ Jack Johnson Previews New Album Tracks in London] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728100105/http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/03/08/jack-johnson-previews-new-album-tracks-in-london/ |date=2011-07-28 }}", Spinner UK, 8 March 2010, retrieved 2010-04-06</ref><ref name="Holmes">Holmes, Abby (2010) "[http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/apr/02/johnsons-earth-friendly-tour-reaches-the-gorge/ Johnson's earth-friendly tour reaches the Gorge]", ''Wenatchee World'', April 2, 2010, retrieved 2010-04-03</ref> The album debuted at number 1 in the United States, selling 243,000 copies in its first week.
==Background and recording== On January 19, 2010, Johnson and his band reported that they had entered the studio to begin work on a new album, and on February 1, the band announced that their currently untitled fifth studio album was slated for a June 1 release, to be followed by a world tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/archive/news/jack_and_the_band_are_back_in_the_mango_tree/ |title=News & Press Archive |publisher=Jack Johnson Music |date=2010-01-19 |access-date=2011-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/archive/news/new_album_and_world_tour/ |title=News & Press Archive |publisher=Jack Johnson Music |date=2010-02-01 |access-date=2011-10-15}}</ref> The album was recorded over three weeks in Johnson's two solar-powered studios, ''The Mango Tree'' in Hawaii and the ''Solar Powered Plastic Plant'' in Los Angeles.<ref>[http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Jack-Johnson-to-Release-New-Studio-Album-To-The-Sea-on-June-1st-on-Brushfire-Records-1131405.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327102252/http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Jack-Johnson-to-Release-New-Studio-Album-To-The-Sea-on-June-1st-on-Brushfire-Records-1131405.htm|date=March 27, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Montgomery" /> ''To the Sea'' was released on Johnson's own label, Brushfire Records, with the first single, "You and Your Heart", already released on radio and iTunes.<ref name="Holmes" /><ref name="Montgomery" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/archive/news/get_a_sneak_peak_of_jacks_new_album_to_the_sea_and_his_first_single_you_and/ |title=News & Press Archive |publisher=Jack Johnson Music |access-date=2011-10-15}}</ref>
In the album, Johnson used more instruments than before like electric guitar, organ, Wurlitzer and Mellotron.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jack-johnson-plugs-in-for-electric-new-disc-to-the-sea-20100524|title=Jack Johnson Plugs In for Electric New Disc 'To the Sea'|publisher=Rolling Stone Music|date=May 24, 2010|access-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref> Johnson said of the album's title "I guess it's a reference to a father leading his son to the sea, with the water representing the subconscious. So it's about trying to go beneath the surface and understand yourself".<ref name="Montgomery">Montgomery, James (2010) "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100306181911/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1633111/20100303/johnson_jack.jhtml Jack Johnson Reveals To The Sea Album Details]", MTV, March 3, 2010, retrieved 2010-04-03</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1794276|pure_url=yes}} |title=Allmusic review}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Blare Magazine'' | rev2score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="blare">{{cite web|url=http://blaremagazine.com/2010/05/31/album-reviews-31-5-10 |title=BLARE Magazine review}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' | rev3score = B<ref name="eweekly">{{cite news|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20388607,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602224131/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20388607,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 2, 2010 |title=Entertainment Weekly review | date=2010-05-26}}</ref> | rev4 = ''The Guardian'' | rev4score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/may/27/jack-johnson-to-the-sea-cd-review |title=The Guardian review | location=London | first=Caroline | last=Sullivan | date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> | rev5 = ''The Independent'' | rev5score = {{rating|1|5}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-jack-johnson-to-the-sea-brushfire-1984783.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-jack-johnson-to-the-sea-brushfire-1984783.html |archive-date=2022-06-21 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The Independent review | location=London | first=Andy | last=Gill | date=May 28, 2010}}</ref> | rev6 = NU.nl | rev6score = {{rating|7|10}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nu.nl/cd-recensies/2263498/jack-johnson--to-the-sea.html|title=To The Sea|date=6 June 2010 }}</ref> | rev7 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev7score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/reviews/album/;kw=36883,162556 |title=Rolling Stone review|magazine=Rolling Stone }}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | rev8 = ''MusicOMH'' | rev8score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicomh.com/albums/jack-johnson-3_0510.htm|title=MusicOMH review}}</ref> | rev9 = ''Ultimate Guitar'' | rev9score = 9.3/10<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/jack_johnson/to_the_sea/index.html|title=Ultimate Guitar review}}</ref> }} At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".<ref>[http://search.metacritic.com/music/artists/johnsonjack/tothesea To The Sea Reviews at Metacritic] ''Metacritic'' Retrieved 2011-03-23</ref> Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic rated it four stars and commented: "Call it the signature of a surfer so bleached by the sun that he rushes nothing, but ''To the Sea'' substitutes the sunset strum-alongs of his earliest records for a sleek daytime sheen that might glimmer too brightly for hippies but it makes for a better overall pop record."<ref name="allmusic"/> Mikael Wood from ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave a B grade and said that: "Here's another set of strummy beachside ballads from the most successful surf bum in history."<ref name="eweekly"/> The ''Billboard'' review was positive, saying that: "A natural progression from 2008 release ''Sleep Through the Static,'' the new set features more electric guitars and a brighter, full-band sound while still bringing plenty of singalong acoustic romanticism and breezy melodies."<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1069126/jack-johnson-to-the-sea|title=Billboard: Jack Johnson - To The Sea - Review|magazine=Billboard }}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' was favorable, saying: "On ''To the Sea'', the 35-year-old surfer and filmmaker is still staring down adult fears. But this time he has made an existential chill-out record that feels substantial, at times even edgy, without feeling forced."<ref name="rollingstone"/>
Mike Diver from BBC Music analyzed that: "Should he ever stretch himself as a musician the results could be fascinating – think The Beach Boys before ''Pet Sounds'', and what they felt capable of afterwards – but right now he's operating in a comfort zone that should guarantee continued commercial success."<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/2xq4/ |title=BBC review}}</ref> Margaret Wappler from the ''Los Angeles Times'' said: "It's the most genuine sentiment on a record from a simple but ambitious man whose real-life philanthropic and environmentally sound practices aim to soothe the world, one bro or surfer girl at a time."<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/album-review-jack-johnsons-to-the-sea.html|title=Album review: Jack Johnson's 'To the Sea' | work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Caroline Sullivan from ''The Guardian'' wrote: "Johnson treads lightly with his sunniness – he just lies in a metaphorical hammock and offers nuggets of wisdom, which sound deceptively meaningful, when illuminated by his pretty guitar work."<ref name="guardian"/> The BLARE Magazine review was positive, saying: "''To the Sea'' shows his mindset as it's not particularly groundbreaking, but it's enough to make his down-to-earth, flip-flop-loving followers dig it. Upbeat tunes still float nearby while the honest gems that reveal his surfer heart are both depressing and warming enough to cap off that campfire with close friends at the beach."<ref name="blare"/>
==Tour== {{Main|Jack Johnson World Tour 2010}} Johnson toured Australia and Europe to support the album, with a North American tour starting on July 9 in Connecticut and concluding on October 14 at the Santa Barbara Bowl in California.<ref name="Holmes" />
==Track listing== All songs written and composed by Jack Johnson, except where noted. # "You and Your Heart" – 3:13 # "To the Sea" – 3:30 # "No Good with Faces" – 3:31 # "At or With Me" – 3:58 # "When I Look Up" – 0:58 # "From the Clouds" – 3:05 # "My Little Girl" – 2:21 # "Turn Your Love" – 3:13 # "The Upsetter" – 3:50 # "Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology" (lyrics: Johnson & Zach Gill, music: Johnson, Gill, Merlo Podlewski & Adam Topol) – 4:03 # "Pictures of People Taking Pictures" – 3:20 # "Anything but the Truth" – 2:54 # "Only the Ocean" (lyrics: Johnson, music: Johnson, Gill, Podlewski & Topol) – 3:40 '''iTunes bonus track''' #<li value="14"> "Better Together" <small>(featuring Paula Fuga)</small> – 4:15 '''Japanese bonus track''' #<li value=14> "What You Thought You Need" (Live from Yokohama) – 4:17
==Personnel== *Jack Johnson – vocals, guitar, ukulele, mellotron, percussion *Adam Topol – drums, percussion, glockenspiel, backup vocals *Merlo Podlewski – bass, percussion, backup vocals *Zach Gill – piano, wurlitzer, melodica, backup vocals, percussion *Paula Fuga – backup vocals on tracks 5, 8 *G. Love – harmonica on 4, 10 *Emmett Malloy – percussion and backup vocals on 10
The album was co-produced by Robert Carranza, Johnson, Podlewski, Gill and Topol, and engineered by Carranza.
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+Weekly chart performance for ''To the Sea'' !scope="col"|Chart (2010) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Australia|1|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023|refname=australian-charts}} |- {{album chart|Austria|4|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Flanders|13|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Wallonia|11|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|BillboardCanada|1|artist=Jack Johnson|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Denmark|9|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|8|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- !scope="row"|European Top 100 Albums<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/european-albums?chartDate=2010-06-19|title=European Albums|work=Billboard.com|access-date=2011-10-15}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- {{album chart|France|18|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Germany|4|id=132307|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- !scope="row"|Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)<ref name=australian-charts/> | style="text-align:center;"|10 |- {{album chart|Ireland2|15|artist=Jack Johnson|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- !scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name=oricon>{{cite web |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=ja&types=rnk&year=2010&month=6&week=2&submit5.x=29&submit5.y=13|title=検索結果- アーティスト/CD検索 Japanese Oricon Top 30 Albums |language=ja |work=Oricon |access-date=2010-06-10}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|7 |- {{album chart|New Zealand|1|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Norway|37|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Portugal|30|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Scotland|3|date=20100606|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Spain|12|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|20|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|1|artist=Jack Johnson|album=To the Sea|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|UK2|1|date=20100606|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|1|artist=Jack Johnson|rowheader=true|access-date=May 7, 2023}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+Year-end chart performance for ''To the Sea'' !scope="col"|Chart (2010) !scope="col"|Rank |- !scope="row"|Canadian Albums Chart<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2010/top-canadian-albums?begin=11&order=position|title=Best of 2010 - Canadian Albums|magazine=Billboard |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc |access-date=2011-10-15}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|18 |- !scope="row"|German Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viva.tv/charts/viva-album-jahrescharts-2010-2010-211/|title=VIVA Album Top 100|work=viva.tv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108131925/http://www.viva.tv/charts/viva-album-jahrescharts-2010-2010-211/|archive-date=2011-01-08}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|88 |- !scope="row"|New Zealand Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart_annual.asp?ChartYear=2010&ChartKind=A |title=RIANZ |publisher=RIANZ |access-date=2011-10-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724200827/http://rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart_annual.asp?chartYear=2010&chartKind=A |archive-date=2011-07-24 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|40 |- !scope="row"|UK Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusYE2010.pdf|title=End Of Year Charts: 2010|publisher=UKChartsPlus|access-date=2011-08-10|archive-date=2012-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628170049/http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusYE2010.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|143 |- !scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2010/the-billboard-200 |title=Best of 2010 - Billboard Top 200 |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc |access-date=2010-12-31}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|33 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''To the Sea''}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Platinum|certyear=2013|relyear=2010|access-date=26 May 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Platinum|certyear=2010|certmonth=7|relyear=2010|access-date=26 May 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Gold|certyear=2023|relyear=2010|access-date=24 March 2023}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Gold|source=archive|relyear=2010|access-date=26 May 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Gold|certyear=2010|relyear=2010|access-date=26 May 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Gold|relyear=2010|certyear=2010|access-date=26 May 2019|id=8630-2515-2}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=To the Sea|artist=Jack Johnson|award=Gold|relyear=2010|certyear=2010|access-date=26 May 2019}} {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true|streaming=true}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Jack Johnson}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:To The Sea}} Category:2010 albums Category:Jack Johnson (musician) albums Category:Brushfire Records albums Category:Universal Music Group albums