Keira-anne.com

It occured to me today that it was summertime, exactly ten years ago, that a trio of brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma found musical success overnight. Before I go any further, let me say that I have always been a proud and admitted fan of Hanson, and that fact remains true today. Truth be told, it’s been their lyrical talent and instrumental skills that have always blown me away. U2’s Bono calls them “genuius.” At the age of 20 I saw them at a small venue when they came to Vancouver, and I can safely say that it was one of the best and certainly most fun “rock shows” I’ve ever been to - even to this day.

© Hanson.net

This past Tuesday saw the release of The Walk, the brothers’ fourth studio album. “It’s the first record in a decade that we made completely from scratch as an indie”, Taylor says. “We’ve stepped it up a notch creatively, writing songs that connect to really personal experiences and recording them live ‘from the floor’” (meaning that the trio played the instruments simultaneously in the studio).

Needless to say, once I found out that a new record had been released, I knew I needed to buy it. For me, their music has always brought me immense comfort and real joy. There’s a lot of hope in the words that are shared through their songs, and it’s always really spoken to my heart (yah, pass the cheese plate). However, I’ve had Middle of Nowhere (1997) and This Time Around (2000) playing on my iPod for the last two days, and they’ve most certainly greatly served to feed into the fantastic way I’ve been feeling lately (more of that in a sec).

Just as Leonardo diCaprio had been slapped with the “that guy from Titanic” stigma, so too were Hanson labelled as “those boys who sang MmmBop.” In the years since James Cameron’s epic swept through theatres, diCaprio has broken free of his branding, and I believe the same will soon be true of Hanson. No one can really question or doubt their musical abilities and talents, and I truly believe that this record will help them find their audience. It may not be the same screaming girls that loved them ten years ago, but I have no doubt that there are people out there who are willing to recognize what New York’s Village Voice calls “the best straight-up rock band in America.”

Do yourself a favour and open your ears long enough to give them a shot.

YouTube’s already on it - check out the first single from The Walk, “Go.”

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Life for me lately has been really, really fantastic. In Layman’s Terms, it feels as though it’s been years since I’ve felt this happy. I’m breathing! The stress and anxiety that comes with putting another’s emotional needs and well-being before my own isn’t something I’m experiencing and it feels so, so great. I’m finding new ways to achieve balance and a whole life. I’m spending time with new friends and meeting new people. I’m laughing! I’m drinking beer from cans and absolutely loving it. I love my body and my smile makes me happy. I can look in the mirror and like what I see.

© Duane Storey on Flickr

Life makes so much more sense when you take the time to put the puzzle pieces together and look at the big picture instead of trying to figure out all the tiny parts, figuring out why the hell they’re shaped the way they are and trying to decipher where the hell they’re supposed to fit.

Last night night I enjoyed some evening debauchery before, during and after the Celebration of Light. It was one big happy family of myself, Rebecca, John, Duane, Corinna, Adam, Tony and Robyn. I’m so entirely excited to spend more time with them all tomorrow night and, hopefully, Saturday night too for Canada’s turn to light up the skies over English Bay.

Stay tuned tomorrow - I’m fulfilling a promise to Tony. I vowed to write an entire post explaining my reasoning behind something that he doesn’t quite seem to believe when I share my stance on this particular subject. What it is, you’ll just have to wait and see. I promise it’ll be all kinds of awesomeness. Check back soon…