Susan Frances
07/10/08, 12:50 AM
The Heavy - Great Vengeance and Furious Fire
Record Label: Counter Records
Release Date: September 17, 2007
Great Britain’s rock quintet The Heavy whip up smoke rings of ‘70s soul-funk and jungle-pop moving along reels adorned in R&B/club rock textures on their latest release Great Vengeance And Furious Fire. The band’s music has vintage intonations reminiscent of the Steve Miller Band and a modern rock glint reflective of Earl Greyhound. This is a band that strikes audiences in an extreme way; they either feel very strongly in favor of The Heavy or they are completely disinterested in the music. The band is a favorite at events for Playboy Magazine and on compilation CDs that profile the burgeoning raunchy rock scene headlined by bands like Pop Levi and The Mooney Suzuki.
Lead singer Kelvin Swaby bags the tracks in a voicing that has the brash language of a libertine and the seductive appeal of Lenny Kravitz. Guitarist Dan Taylor and keyboardist/backup vocalist Hannah Collins keep the variables in the sonic patterns changing and moving the landscape from a bluesy rock strut in “Our Special Place” to a retro rock swagger through “In the Morning.” The rhythm section of bassist Spencer Page and drummer Chris Ellul are always on top of where the vocal melodies are roaming and courses rippling grooves that eases the listener into the music‘s momentum. The Heavy‘s album shows the band to be a product of their musical influences, which are heavily staked In ‘70s blues rock. The soft R&B conditioning of “Who Needs the Sunshine” basks the tune in elegantly layered flounces, which contrast the roughly cragged vocal timbres creasing the bluesy gospel shades seaming “Brukpocket’s Lament.” The mossy trickles canvassing “Set Me Free” produced by the guitar and keyboard parts are dotted in jangly tambourine swells, and the strip-tease vocal strut of “That Kind of Man” feels like it is right out of a Hollywood porn film. The Heavy are not always about projecting a sexy vocal swagger and music with a strip-tease orientation. Their track “Doing Fine” is a number that shows the band’s acoustic leanings and their skill for weaving folk-pop medleys just as diligently as John Mayer.
The Heavy is one of those bands that you won’t forget easily, whether they left a good impression on you or a bad one. As a band, all of the members play from the same page. They each show contentment in their station and no one steps on the other guy’s toes. Funk rock fits The Heavy like a tailored pair of jeans. Even if they aren’t in style any more, the fit is still flawless.
BB King, Earl Greyhound, The Mooney Suzuki
www.myspace.com/theheavy73 (http://www.myspace.com/theheavy73)
Record Label: Counter Records
Release Date: September 17, 2007
Great Britain’s rock quintet The Heavy whip up smoke rings of ‘70s soul-funk and jungle-pop moving along reels adorned in R&B/club rock textures on their latest release Great Vengeance And Furious Fire. The band’s music has vintage intonations reminiscent of the Steve Miller Band and a modern rock glint reflective of Earl Greyhound. This is a band that strikes audiences in an extreme way; they either feel very strongly in favor of The Heavy or they are completely disinterested in the music. The band is a favorite at events for Playboy Magazine and on compilation CDs that profile the burgeoning raunchy rock scene headlined by bands like Pop Levi and The Mooney Suzuki.
Lead singer Kelvin Swaby bags the tracks in a voicing that has the brash language of a libertine and the seductive appeal of Lenny Kravitz. Guitarist Dan Taylor and keyboardist/backup vocalist Hannah Collins keep the variables in the sonic patterns changing and moving the landscape from a bluesy rock strut in “Our Special Place” to a retro rock swagger through “In the Morning.” The rhythm section of bassist Spencer Page and drummer Chris Ellul are always on top of where the vocal melodies are roaming and courses rippling grooves that eases the listener into the music‘s momentum. The Heavy‘s album shows the band to be a product of their musical influences, which are heavily staked In ‘70s blues rock. The soft R&B conditioning of “Who Needs the Sunshine” basks the tune in elegantly layered flounces, which contrast the roughly cragged vocal timbres creasing the bluesy gospel shades seaming “Brukpocket’s Lament.” The mossy trickles canvassing “Set Me Free” produced by the guitar and keyboard parts are dotted in jangly tambourine swells, and the strip-tease vocal strut of “That Kind of Man” feels like it is right out of a Hollywood porn film. The Heavy are not always about projecting a sexy vocal swagger and music with a strip-tease orientation. Their track “Doing Fine” is a number that shows the band’s acoustic leanings and their skill for weaving folk-pop medleys just as diligently as John Mayer.
The Heavy is one of those bands that you won’t forget easily, whether they left a good impression on you or a bad one. As a band, all of the members play from the same page. They each show contentment in their station and no one steps on the other guy’s toes. Funk rock fits The Heavy like a tailored pair of jeans. Even if they aren’t in style any more, the fit is still flawless.
BB King, Earl Greyhound, The Mooney Suzuki
www.myspace.com/theheavy73 (http://www.myspace.com/theheavy73)