Longfellow

And So On… (Kung Fu)
by Scott Hefflon

Longfellow is a band going places, you can tell. The basic structure of good songs, intelligent lyrics, and (if you believe the hype) a really good DIY attitude. Vandal Warren Fitzgerald twiddles the knobs on this debut full-length, and while the decision to put the vocals so far front would usually be a smart one, singer Andy Burris falters on a few too many notes here. Imagine Bouncing Souls (or plenty of others) if you could hear every mistake crystal clear… Give ’em more time on the road and a trillion retakes in the studio and Andy’ll get the point – you don’t leave until it’s perfect. That’s the price you pay when you draw such attention to the vocals and adventurous melodies. Great artwork and an understanding that this is gonna be a much-talked-about band make this worth picking up despite its flaws.
(PO Box 38009 Hollywood, CA 90038)