"Handheld Torch" is the debut album by Tarmac Adam released in 2003. Reissued on the 10th anniversary of its release, this previously hard to find gem is now available to coincide with the release of the band's sophomore album, "The History Effect". For "Handheld Torch" singer/songwriter Matt O'Donnell was joined by the famed rhythm section of Paul Hester and Nick Seymour from Crowded House, Steve Paix on keyboards and ambient guitar whizz Sean McVitty. The sound of "Handheld Torch" is a mixture of experimental dream-like pop, soaring vocal melodies and intimate lyrics that touch on themes ranging from sentimentality to optimism in the face of adversity. Hester's characteristic swagger on the drums accompanied by Seymour's inventive, melodic approach to bass provide a solid backbone for O'Donnell's often fragile vocal and drone-like guitar tunings to create a sound that listeners will feel to be both familiar and enticingly fresh.