Album Review: The Tower And The Fool - How Long

Album Rating: B-

Before we delve into details, lets make one thing absolutely clear - The Tower And The Fool have a hell of a lot going for them. A patently capable instrumental caste, a superior sentimental knack, a pair of excellent vocalists who double over as a fine songwriting partnership; these are assets that most can only fantasise of, and initially, at least, the Providence sextet seemed to be putting them to good use. Commencing their career with a pair of immensely accomplished EP's, they bore all the hallmarks of a band arriving fully formed, exhibiting a maturity in both conception and execution far beyond what you'd expect even from an established Americana outfit. A full-length would of course present a whole new set of challenges, but early signs suggested they'd have little trouble sustaining such excellence.

2012: A Look Ahead



Great Expectations... will 2012
be the year that The Gaslight

Anthem become huge?

Ah, finally it's 2012, and thank Christ - no more end of year lists!

Yes, the obligatory avalanche of retrospective madness has finally ran it's course, and at long last we can begin looking ahead at what the new year has to offer. And wouldn't you know it, even a cursory glance over the coming months reveals plenty that's worth getting excited about.

As well as the obvious big names and returning old favourites, there are also legions of newer acts hoping to make an impression with debut releases, while others who have already completed that opening hurdle will be looking to kick on and really establish themselves within the industry. So, with a run through the early year release schedule, as well as a few well educated pieces of guesswork, let's cast our minds ahead and behold what could well be another year of stellar musical achievement...

Album Review: The Tower & The Fool - XIII EP

EP Rating: A-

You often hear talk of genres which have run their course and are beginning to stagnate, but we can rest assured that folk based Americana is not among them. It's a style that has been in a particularly rude state of health in recent times, with established artists like The Decemberists, Wilco and Ryan Adams all releasing excellent albums in this calender year, while new blood from bands like The War On Drugs promises much for the future. With the arrival of The Tower & The Fool, though, that trajectory has begun to shine even brighter.