Having never experienced Todd Hannigan's music, I was in for a pleasant surprise when it arrived. Starting with "Playas" I was drawn into a miasma of guitars and lyrics that has kept me entertained for most of the last couple of days.
The title track of Volume 2: Courtside for the Apocalypse brings new meaning to the end of days. It's a call for everyone to take notice of world events and take part, rather than simply having courtside seats. But if you've got seats to the end of the world, you might as well enjoy yourself when you get there. If I was going to watch the world come to an end, I'd want Todd and the band to be there simply jamming the time away.
I would liken Todd & The Heavy 29's music to a mellow mix of Jack Johnson and Dire Straits. His laid back, surfer dude approach to life (focusing on his life of music, travel, and surfing) is immediately apparent when you hear the strains of the song "Heavy 29's," which beautifully sums up their view of the world. "Life can get expensive when it's always a Friday, benders ramble on when it's going my way..."
The song "Maybe" calls to his restless, traveling spirit: "Gonna follow my stars / gonna follow the lights..." Hannigan traveled the globe in the 1990s into the early 2000s, exploring Australia, Indonesia, South America, and elsewhere. But Ventura, California, where he went to High School, served as a base when he ran out of money. Traveling and working odd jobs, he explored the world, finding the inspiration for songs and bringing it back to eventually share with the rest of us.
As you listen to the album, you can't help but start wondering about your own place in the world. He says in "Still in Your Heart": "A lot of people going through the motions, and hoping for the best..." All of us are guilty of this to some degree. Each day bleeds into the next, just part of the formless mass of humanity trudging through the world. With the woes of the world all screaming every day, it's easy to close your eyes. But we must follow our heart and do what we know is right and try to keep hope alive.
Article comments