About This:
2009 - The Truth About Broken:

Indie roots songsmith Todd Thibaud didn’t just make his new album Broken. He lived it. And the disc’s 13 songs are the story of how one man took account of the hard truths and true joys in his life, did the math, and moved on — stronger and happier for the arduous experience. “I endured a period of reckoning: coming to terms with who I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m heading,” Todd explains. “It touched every aspect of my life — my relationships, my career, my place in the world. My grandfather, who was a huge figure for me, passed away. Doors seemed to be closing all around. It was very painful.” Todd’s struggle is bared in the frayed-wired emotions of songs like “Simple Man,” with its dark B-3 organ and edgy slide guitar, and “Man That I Am,” which assays life’s trials over the pensive trill of six-string tremolo. But other tunes, like the bouncy roots rocker “Changing Now” and the reaffirmation of love and life “You and Me,” harness the sound of those storm clouds passing. Ultimately, Todd says, the soul-baring journey of Broken “is about how lost and hopeless I was and how I finally got back to a place of peace, comfort, and hope.” To tell that tale the Boston-based singer-guitarist produced his sixth album himself. Todd also enlisted a personal A-list of musicians who are long-time friends. They include guitarist Thomas Juliano, drummer Milt Sutton, bassist Jeff St. Pierre, keyboardist Dave Limina, mandolinist Sean Staples, guitarist Adam Steinberg, and special guests Lori McKenna and Buffalo Tom’s Bill Janovitz. Engineer Jack Gauthier, whose association with Todd goes back to his pre-solo career with the Courage Brothers, helped give the disc its boldly chiseled sound. A bonus CD contains the solo acoustic demos of the songs that Todd played for his musical cast. “I decided not to rehearse with the band before we went into the studio,” Todd explains, “so everything would be raw, spare, and spontaneous — just a real reaction to the songs.” The result is compelling, soulful, and absolutely honest. “On Broken,” says Todd, “ there’s no fluff and there’s no ambiguity. Just truth.”