High School Football Heroes
We've Fooled Around Long Enoug

I can’t express in words how much I love the High School Football Heroes. After the 2004 release of Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Handgrenades, I waited with hopeful anticipation for the release of new material. I had every word, every horn line, and every guitar part memorized on the disc, and I thought the band’s music couldn’t be any better. After hearing HSFH’s newest EP, entitled We’ve Fooled Around Long Enough, I had to bite my tongue. With previous material, the Football Heroes moved at a blinding speed, which they were able to excel at. However, being actively involved in the band’s live show for its entirety was near impossible. We’ve Fooled Around Long Enough takes HSFH’s exceptional horn lines and infectious grooves and slows them down to a manageable pace, leaving a listener with material that screams “DANCE PARTY!” Be you a ska fan, rock fan, or even a Top 40 pop fanatic, this is the disc for you.

The disc fades in with the guitar intro of “The Voices in Your Head,” but it’s not long before you realize what makes this disc exceptional, as excellent vocals and a danceable groove come together to get you on your feet. As this is followed up with a harder rock section overlaid with a tight and innovative horn line, there is definite reassurance that HSFH’s style hasn’t changed, they’ve just started to grow and shape themselves with new members and new experiences. During the second and third choruses, the blend of distorted guitar and a powerful horn line meet harmonized vocals, a thing of sheer beauty. As the track seems to end, the band jumps right back into the chorus, giving you one last taste before they begin the epic that is “Nothing Beneath You.” This is by far my favorite track on the disc. At 6:51, it basically takes two amazing musical entities and combines them, creating a song that goes on for just long enough so that you’re in love with every second, but you’re still able to continue listening to the rest of the disc without replaying it. Kicking in hard with a distorted guitar line and beautifully blended horn blasts, the track soon reaches an amazing ska verse, followed by another infectious horn line and perfectly harmonized vocals. Both vocalists, George and Dave, fit the style extremely well and blend together seamlessly for an effect that’s unmistakably perfect. After an excellent sax feature and a bit of a breakdown in the tune featuring more amazing horn blasts, my very favorite horn line of the disc shows up. I’ve listened to this tune over 50 times at this point, and I’m still impressed and shocked at precise and perfect only a trombone and tenor sax can be. Keeping the intensity up, the ska verses retain a distorted guitar, a unique touch that HSFH adds to its already impressive repertoire.

“Don’t Come Around” is up next, and seems to be the chosen single off this record. Starting with some strummed chords on an acoustic guitar and Dave’s vocals, the song builds up and frequently transitions between harder rock and ska breaks. Jason, the band’s tenor sax player, even throws in some additional keyboard parts to give this track a unique feel. Vocal and horn blend are once again exceptional, reaching amazing limits in range and still sounding remarkably comfortable. While the music is technically awesome, there’s also an element of catchiness that appeals to those unfamiliar with ska as a genre. This is a disc that even a ska-hating significant other can appreciate. “Regret This” and “World Painted Grey” remind me a lot of the Football Heroes’ last disc, retaining a lot of rock influence, but still finding their way into excellent ska grooves and well-blended horn lines and vocals. After only the third time through the disc, I was singing along with lines like, “Anything to prove to you that we took all we could from the places we’ve gone,” showing off both the band’s catchiness and meaningful approach to vocal style. For a band of only six, the amount and range of sound this band creates is amazing. The EP winds itself to a close with “Surfing Channels and Killing Time,” which makes its appearance on the band’s MySpace with “Don’t Come Around.” This song was definitely my favorite to see live when the band played the Webster Theatre in Hartford with the Toasters, showing off great grooves, catchy melodies, and even some of the band’s harder side. Closing with the best two part harmony on the disc for the last 23 seconds couldn’t put a better exclamation point on such an outstanding sophomore release.

I can’t say enough good things about this High School Football Heroes EP, We’ve Fooled Around Long Enough. Taking an already refined and exceptional style and fusing additional elements to expand their repertoire, HSFH has outdone themselves with this release. Hearing is definitely believing, and fortunately, even though the band distributed over 4,000 copies while on Warped Tour this year, they’ve still got some available. I would willingly pay the $5 for these six amazing tracks, even if the artwork wasn’t incredible. And believe me, it is. Get out and see this band, and pick up their newest on Asbestos Records.

Reviewed By:  Todd Springer

Date:  Sat 2 Sep 06

Score:  10.0

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