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The Tower And The Fool - How Long

The Tower And The Fool

How Long

The Tower And The Fool feature ex-members of Therefore I Am and Boys Like Girls, but the countrified rock on How Long is a radical departure from the bands these guys used to be in. The result is an album that’s equally harrowing and uplifting. Vocalists/guitarists Alex Correia and Chris Rosenquest started as a duo before adding a cast of characters, and their vocals are a sublime trade-off between gruff and melodic. Standout tracks such as the climaxing “My Heart Is Dead In NYC” and “Scoliosis,” which is about as feverish and infectious as a country-rock song can get, hone in on their vocal talents by using repetitive phrases and pregnant pauses between lines. Unfortunately, some of the other material on How Long, where they pay homage to their obvious influences (Wilco, Ryan Adams, Counting Crows), isn’t quite as effective as when they just go for it (again, see “Scoliosis”). Still, the Tower And The Fool have room and time to grow, and they could become one of those bands that the next generation will try to ape on their own debut records. On the other hand, if their members go back to playing melodic hardcore and pop-punk, then How Long will remain one of those sadly hidden gems that comes along every once in awhile when songwriters truly take the time to explore their base musical instincts.

Run For Cover http://www.runforcoverrecords.com

“Scoliosis”