Amazon.comJimmy Buffett's music has always had an easy-in-the-islands feel to it, and if his songs seem like postcards sent from exotic locations or notes hastily scribbled on a bar napkin, that's more or less what they are. On Buffett's 31st album, the singer/songwriter, bestselling author, pilot, and son of a son of a sailor offers alternately wry and sentimental observations on everything from our impending doom ("Waiting for the Next Explosion") and the appeal of Cajun food ("I Will Play for Gumbo") to the ultimate vacation getaway ("Beach House on the Moon") and life's sweet mysteries ("Oysters & Pearls"). Buffett also tries on a couple of intriguing covers, including Bruce Cockburn's pensive "Pacing the Cage," Mose Allison's sly "You Call It Jogging," and Fred Neil's laid-back "Lucky Stars." Thanks to the return of a few long-lost members of his Coral Reefer Band, Beach House on the Moon often recalls Buffett's early albums--cause enough for Parrotheads everywhere to fire up the blender, string up the hammock, and give this one a spin. --Daniel Durchholz