Thousands of miles from his Hawaiian home, Jack Johnson is determined to re-create the atmosphere of a beach. Projections of open skies glisten behind him; he and his buddies wear floppy clothes that are crying out for sand. However, the Brits' Best International Newcomer faces the old foe of Manchester weather. "It's so cold that I wore shoes on stage for the first time in three years," confesses Johnson, kicking off his espadrilles. "There," he says with a grin. "I feel much better now."

It's ridiculously incongruous, but the sunny, beach-dwelling, unassuming vibes are crucial to the 30-year-old's appeal. At least, it's difficult to otherwise explain how the filmmaker-turned-songwriter has become absolutely huge playing music that would normally be heard chugging away in the background of wine bars and cruise ships. Johnson looks more like a tennis pro - specifically Greg Rusedski - than a rocker. When he dips into Sly Stone, the blast of If You Want Me to Stay sounds like James Blunt.

However, the crowd seem to recognise that it takes hard work to sound this casual. Every hazy soft-rock piano solo is met with explosions of cheering. There are no edges in Johnson's music apart from a few environmentalist lyrics - one, for instance, moans that swimming is not recommended owing to "germs" in the water, which is hardly radical stuff. His woozy, chilled-out sounds do have something - a way of jolting you with a hook just as you're nodding off. However, as Johnson becomes even more samey and snoozy, a strategically placed drawing pin would liven things up.

· At the NEC Arena, Birmingham, tomorrow. Box office: 0870 909 4133. Then touring.