Further Than the Bow

Singer/songwriter Todd Hannigan’s bittersweet, spiritually informed brand of folk-rock takes on subtle colors on his third album, Further Than the Bow. The music from this Ojai, Calif.–based artist suggests the acoustic sides of Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler, with a strain of Nick Drake’s fragile moodiness. His work as a soundtrack composer (particularly for surfing films) may account for the evocative quality of the melodies and arrangements here. The plaintive pedal steel guitar and fluttering violin of “Submarine” and the chiming, string-like keyboard textures of “Friends” show the album’s attention to sonic detail. Hannigan’s own acoustic guitar work is elegant and easy-flowing, achieving a crystalline beauty on tracks like “Hearts Blue” and the title tune. His gently earnest vocal style is applied to painterly vignettes (“Rivers and Valleys”), yearning expressions of freedom (“Down the Line”), and dark, mystical visions (“End Times”). Further Than the Bow ends with “Kottke,” a tribute to guitar legend Leo Kottke animated by Hannigan’s deft fingerpicking touch.