Soundtrack darlings The Heavy have been featured in films such as Dallas Buyers Club, The Hateful Eight and The Big Short, and many of our readers would recognize them for their tracks such as “How Do You Like Me Now” and “What Makes a Good Man?”. A mix of funk and soul coated in the warm fuzz of their guitars and the old school rock and roll approach have what made the UK quartet stand out from the crowd. A decade later after their breakout singles and a surge in popularity, the band are still hot on their taste on bringing the boogie to your ear drums. With their latest release, Sons, The Heavy are back out in the world to lay their signature groove down.
From the get-go, the album is 11 tracks of unadulterated fun and groove, with so much groove that Benny Goodman would have a hard time trying to shake a stick at. Kicking off the album with “Heavy For You”, the track sounds like a throw back to the likes of James Brown courtesy of vocalist Kelvin Swaby, and the music coming off as a strange neo-soul-esque rhythm driving him forward. Throughout the album, its worth paying attention to James Taylor’s guitar playing. On tracks such as the introductory “Heavy for You”, “Fire”, and “A Whole Lot of Love”, his guitar tone cuts through and you can tell the sound is immediately unique. It’s punchy, crunchy and blends between a mix of the old school style of overdriven fuzz of the early 70’s sound, mixed akin to Hendrix, with modern elements. The rest of the album is simply a masterclass in how to shape a groove and keep to it, the rhythms formulated by Spencer Page and Chris Ellul on bass and drums respectively add so much into the formula that make this album another part of your quintessential Friday night boogie makers. With tracks such as “Put The Hurt On Me” and “Simple Things”, the rhythm takes hold as it takes you by your hand onto the dance floor. Is there anything overly flashy? Surprisingly not, and that isn’t a negative take on the album. It’s grooves and flows are easy to comprehend, and once you’ve given the record a spin the tunes will be humming in your head for days to come. The album reaches its ultimate conclusion with “Burn Bright”, with its gospel twang following Swaby, guiding him through the process to ultimately help him, and the band, to burn brighter than ever before.
It’s rare to have albums that are fun, full to the brim of ideas and not making them longer than they need to be. The experience of listening to Sons is a journey of self-discovery and positivity with oneself, a message that’s needed now more than ever in the scope of music. That doesn’t necessarily make the album political or awash with social commentary. All 11 tracks are almost love letters heralding to their influences, The Heavy are able to keep their signature sound and stay true to their style – nothing on the album is an impersonation of older material. The sound remains true and The Heavy are able to march to the beat of their own drum, while making sure that you’re dancing to that beat as well.
Review by Connor Flello
