As scholars and philosophers continue to debate the role art should play in a post-September 11 world, Hardpan’s eponymous debut is ample proof that, given the most surreal and bewildering circumstances, a ray of light can still find its way out of the unsettling darkness from time to time. Hidden behind the Hardpan moniker are four accomplished songwriters and guitar players: Todd Thibaud, Terry Lee Hale, Chris Burroughs and Joseph Parsons. Gathering at Burroughs’ home studio in Tucson, Arizona, last September to rehearse and record an album in ten days, the group headed out for food and plenty of drink at a local Mexican restaurant. That was the evening of September 10.
The next morning, glued to the TV yet defiant in the face of such disturbing and surreal events, the foursome made the difficult decision to soldier on and make their record. The results, thirteen more or less acoustic tracks, offer an intriguing snapshot of what were undoubtedly ten crazy days, as Thibaud, Hale, Burroughs and Parsons take turns around the microphone, accompanying each other. This is good, solid songwriting craftsmanship, but it’s also the sound of four men trying to put the world out of their minds for a little while, as the world around them ceases to make sense.