During a time when 90’s stars Toad the Wet Sprocket were on hiatus, guitarist and songwriter for Toad Todd Nichols created the side project Lapdog, along with fellow Toad members Dean Dinning and RandyGuss playing on the CD.
Much like Toad, the group played summery pop rock with shimmering hooks and warm, soothing melodies. One of the stand-outs from their album Mayfly was the thoughtful, sparkling “Staring at the Sun”. The song, a lament over a failed relationship, had some of Nichols most melancholy lyrics (“I have been the one, staring at the sun. Light so bright I’m blinded. It’s hard to look away. Blind eyes lead my way”) yet the track remains one that always comforts me when I hear it.
Toad would eventually get back together, so Lapdog has remained on hiatus since the early 00’s, with none of their music available outside of bandcamp. If they ever decide to get back together, hopefully they’ll get their two albums up on more services so more audiences can discover them.
The Indy Review 