More Quality Jams

Big Head Todd and the Monsters is a blues-y jam band from Boulder, Colorado. They originally formed in 1986 while they were all in college, before developing a sizable following in their home state and the rest of the Rocky Mountain region. They had a platinum record in 1993 with Sister Sweetly, but slowly declined in popularity after that. In 2005 they had a brief return to the limelight when their song “Blue Skies” was written as a tribute to the American space program after the Columbia space shuttle disaster, and that song was later used by Hillary Clinton in her 2008 presidential campaign. Now, thirty years after their formation, the group are still touring and writing music, and have just released their newest album, New World Arisin’.

Sonically, the album is very similar to the rest of the Big Head Todd catalogue, and holds a diverse range of influences. Opening track “Glow” is a laid-back stoner-rock jam, with Todd Mohr’s vocals having a bit of added fuzz from the production. After that comes the bluesy title track which shuffles along with extra distortion and sinful riffs. The best song on the album follows that, in the form of the twangy, Tom Petty-esque “Damaged One.”

Other highlights on the record include the funky “Trip,” with its shredding guitar solo, the subtle punk riffs on “Detonator,” and the Counting Crows-esque “Wipeout Turn.” Mohr’s vocals are strong the entire album, whether he’s mixing in a slight drawl or reaching the top of his range. The rhythm section groove of bassist Rob Squires and drummer Brian Nevin is airtight.

There isn’t a bad song on New World Arisin’, and it’s got a relaxed vibe to it despite the band’s harder-rocking influences. Even though the band is twenty-five years removed from its platinum releases, they’re still creating and performing great music that their devoted fan base can fully get behind. Even though they’re not commercially relevant much anymore, Big Head Todd has put out a solid record they should be extremely proud of.