CD: "Take the Weather With You" by Jimmy Buffett; Capitol Records.

Released: Oct. 10.

Style: Rock.

My take: Jimmy Buffett has made a career out of lyrically capturing the lifestyle of most people's dreams. From the arms of Alabama to the shorelines of salty pieces of land around the world, he's been there to write his next island-inspired, sarcasm-laced tune.

"Take the Weather With You" is his 27th studio album and a follow-up to 2004's "License to Chill." While it doesn't have the dazzle and magic of previous CDs, there's still lots of goodness to be heard here.

What's noticeable from the get-go is the Hawaiian influence on "Weather." The album cover has a smiling Buffett throwing a shaka. The back cover shows him wearing a Hanalei Surf Company T-shirt and running toward the ocean to catch a wave. There are also two songs with direct ties to the Islands: a cover of "Duke's on Sunday," Henry Kapono's tribute to the famous Waikiki restaurant; and Buffett's own tune "Hula Girl at Heart," about an artist who, despite her world travels, has a soft spot for Hawai'i. ("Photographs show she is lovely / Her bare feet are a work of art / Her fragrance speaks of frangipani / Yes, she's still a hula girl at heart.")

But this CD is more than a love letter to the Aloha State. There's also social commentary sprinkled throughout. For example, "Everybody's On the Phone" is about modern society's dependence on electronic communication ("Everybody's on the phone / So connected and all alone / From the pizza boy to the socialite / We all salute the satellites").

There are also songs that capture Buffett's true essence. The best example is "Party at the End of the World" — everything from the standard rhyme pattern and totally off-the-wall yet somehow-relevant imagery to the sarcasm and playfulness in his delivery. ("Cause there's a party at the end of the world / Where the locals do the tango twirl / Forget the temples in Nepal / Cancel the fete in Montreal.")

Even the songs he didn't write himself, which outnumber the songs he did, are right up his alley, capturing that same essence. Take the lead single "Bama Breeze." The lyrics are so much like Buffett's, it's hard to believe otherwise, especially with verses like "In 1984, Mick Jagger passed through town / Bought the house a round / Signed his name on the wall / In the ladies bathroom stall."

The low point on this album is Buffett's "Whoop De Doo," a ballad. Here, the sarcasm comes in small doses, but that's still excessive for a slower tune.

In the end, "Take the Weather With You" is the epitome of a Jimmy Buffett record. Longtime Parrotheads will be up for that, while his critics will hate it for the same reason. If you're a newer fan, pick up a copy of a compilation such as "Songs You Know By Heart" or "Meet Me in Margaritaville" to test the waters before taking "Weather" for a spin.

Jeremy Castillo, who received his associate of arts degree from Windward Community College, is attending the University of Idaho.