Footballhead – Weight of the Truth | Album Review
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Tiny Engines
The biggest compliment I could ever give someone is that I think they're cool. Are there "better," more descriptive words I could use? Sure, but to me, cool isn’t any one thing, and the way I define it morphs over time. Cool is effortless, authentic, and alive. It’s more than clothes; it’s an expressive style and meaningful pieces. It’s not just liking specific bands; it’s well-listened personal opinions and treasuring music that resonates. You get the idea. I find it to be a rare quality in others, especially as I get older.
Now that you know my thoughts on Being Cool, let it be said: Footballhead is cool. The Chicago-based five-piece hit the DIY scene in 2022 with the release of their debut EP Kitchen Fly, and it was clear early on that the band had their nostalgic, early-2000s sound cornered. Kitchen Fly feels like it could soundtrack a coming-of-age movie with its laidback pop-rock feel stretching from the bright and upbeat “NERVOUS POS” to the almost-surf-rock closer “THINGS I’M HIDING NOW.” While that lightweight sound is a definitive contrast from the band’s current iteration, it’s clear that Footballhead has remained cool as they’ve continued to chase down their alt-rock sound.
In 2024, the band released two albums – the first, Overthinking Everything, in March, and the second, Before I Die, in August. Both releases show Footballhead heading in a heavier direction, so it only makes sense that their latest album, Weight of the Truth, finds the band at their heaviest, and dare I say coolest, yet.
Opener “Peace of Mind” immediately sets the tone for the entire album, starting with a heavily filtered drumbeat and a guitar tone so crunchy it feels like eating asphalt off of a skateboard. Already bobbing my head to the beat, I grinned as a gnarly drum fill brought the vocals in. Frontman Ryan Nolen’s singing ranges from smooth and controlled to a raging scream, and each line is delivered with a ton of heart. Even just a minute into this song, Footballhead has made it clear that they know what they’re about. “Peace of Mind” is dense and satisfying, with the band’s performance landing tight and precise.
Growing up in Northern California, it was pretty standard for teenagers to get into skateboarding, BMX, watersports, and other “edgy” extreme sports. My brothers and I all did wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and we rode BMX bikes, so we would spend hours trying to come up with Cool Tricks on various equipment. As you can imagine, there were a lot of fails, but we doggedly tried again anyway. We repeatedly watched a DVD compilation of wakeboarding pros like Shaun Murray, Dallas Friday, and Aaron Rathy, marveling at the insane amount of air that these athletes could achieve. I wore puffy DC skate shoes, begged my mom to let me shop at Zumiez, and plastered the bulletin board in my room with tags and stickers from various skate brands. “Used to Be,” the second track on Weight of the Truth, feels like it could soundtrack a montage of my life at this point as the band kicks up the intensity, going even heavier and letting loose vocally. Chugging guitars are balanced by spacey riffs that float above the controlled chaos, all driving the energy forward to my favorite part of the song where Ryan launches into these lyrics:
And I let my ego death bloom
Shed the past, but forever in debt to
All of this, I could never regret you
‘Cause back then I could never accept you
The lyrics are repeated three times through the bridge, rising to an impassioned scream, creating one of the most powerful moments on the album – and it’s only track two. The following song, “Diversion,” is slightly more meditative and controlled, and the impact of nu-metal is apparent here – it’s easy to hear Deftones’ influence in the spacious, aesthetically understated vocals. The drums cut through the mix, featuring bright cymbal work that adds a chrome-like feel to the track. While the band still maintains their edge on “Diversion,” they also show off their ability to scale back into something softer.
The title track further proves that Footballhead can master whatever style they set their mind to, as “Weight of the Truth” brings a blink-182-esque pop-punk pivot to an album that, thus far, has been sitting squarely in rock territory. The lyrics push deeper too, asking “Search your cabinets for medicine, but what will it do? / Won’t get better if you can’t bear the weight of the truth.” They understand a key aspect of existence: if I’m going to be introspective, why shouldn’t I also get to jam?
As the album progresses, Footballhead continues to make subtle stylistic shifts from song to song without compromising continuity – the album feels like it evolves smoothly. There are nods to all sorts of genres that crystallized in the 2000s, such as butt rock, emo, and grunge. The brash-yet-controlled guitars hearken to bands like Nickelback and Puddle of Mudd, while the vocals range feels equally indebted to nu-metal and pop-punk. As a musician myself, I understand this as a calculated risk, just like the wakeboard tricks my brothers and I were so desperate to try in middle school. However, Footballhead stays in control of their evolution and sticks the landing without a hitch.
On late-album cut “Chosen Brother,” a plucked guitar intro feels like it’s soundtracking the beginning of an emotional Call of Duty or Halo edit. That feeling, alongside the tender, vulnerable lyrics, makes this song a deeply moving moment amidst the more energetic tracks on Weight of the Truth. The pain of losing a close friend is front and center on this track, but in the midst of his grief, Ryan is able to cling to the hope of seeing his friend, his “chosen brother” again. It’s bittersweet. “So I’ll sit still, I’ll hold on tight / And follow my way to you, chosen brother of mine.”
The mood shifts instantly as the penultimate track, “What You’re Whispering,” crashes through my eardrums with a killer drum intro. I love the feel of this song: the guitars drive the music forward with precision and grit, vocals soar in aching harmonies, and the underlying frenetic energy adds impact to the heartfelt lyrics: “Drenched here in ache / I’ve had enough / If it wasn’t so vain and familiar / I’d bluff / But my obsession’s you / I know you know that much.” The ending is cathartic and spatially massive, pierced by beautiful screamo vocals layered against the chorus melody. As the song trails out, bringing the heightened emotion down to a chilled pace, it transitions neatly into the closing track “Focus,” which offers a perfect landing spot at the tail end of the record.
Every single song on this album had me moving and grooving. I sensed influences from bands such as the aforementioned blink-182 and Deftones, but also Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, and P.O.D. Somehow, Footballhead manages to capture the nostalgia of this era of music without coming across as dated, corny, or overly derivative. So many artists want to emulate other eras of music and often miss the mark, but Footballhead feel true to themselves while also making music steeped in clear reverence for these sounds. They sound good. They sound cool. I love it, and have returned to spin Weight of the Truth over and over without tiring of their sound. The 2000s are so back, and Footballhead is leading the charge.
Britta Joseph is a musician and artist who, when she isn’t listening to records or deep-diving emo archives on the internet, enjoys writing poetry, reading existential literature, and a good iced matcha. You can find her on Instagram @brittajoes.
