The Heavy Heavy – One of a Kind

The Heavy Heavy, a soulful, era-blending rock band based in Brighton, have just dropped their debut album, One of a Kind. Having been on the up recently, the group have sold out countless headline shows across the US. On a journey to spread their influence across the globe, The Heavy Heavy introduces some fresh numbers to our ears that reiterate their expert ability to take listeners on a fascinating journey through different musical eras whilst putting their own unique stamp on it.

Having been compared to various big names including The Mamas & the Papas, The Heavy Heavy are focused on reigniting modern-day music that reminds listeners of the 60s. They also, however, deliver elements of the 70s with sounds reminiscent of The Eagles, particularly on the heavily layered acoustic backing and sweet harmonies, and of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

The album opens with its namesake, One of a Kind. You can truly hear their British roots coming through on this record – containing rebellious rock melodies in a nod to classic Brit pop/rock, it begs for head-banging and viscously passionate dancing. The album stands out through its genre-blending: some tracks give off a soft-rock sound that takes you to the streets of London in the 90s, whilst records like Wild Emotion are slower, more soulful – the latter encourages a sit-down listen, tapping your foot and nodding your head whilst deep in thought.

Although their artistry can be compared to the style of many greats, The Heavy Heavy ensure their sound remains very much their own by combining influence from across decades in a cleverly crafted era mashup with in their own memorable elements – when band leads Georgie Fuller and Will Turner sing together, their voices fit so well that they become one. Singing an octave apart, the blend is so smooth on the ears that their voices almost work better together than sung separately. Listeners can really hear this in Happiness.

A minor downside of the release is some of the tracks are relatively similar to one another and the order would have benefitted from being mixed around to create variety when you leave the record to run through consecutively.

A particular stand-out is Cherry with its fantastic, soulful chorus and great production that takes the listener smoothly from verse to chorus, to verse again with ease. The repetition of “Cherry” as a call and response between Fuller and Turner is a catchy addition to the outro that leads us nicely out of the track.

The band takes you on a journey through decades of fantastic music, visiting eras one by one. The Heavy Heavy don’t simply dip their toes in – they stop, take a good long look in the window, and make sure listeners feel as immersed in each sound as possible before moving on. It’s evident the band takes great pride in bringing out their influences in their music and don’t hide the fact that this is what they are doing. They achieve this with a great class and a touch of “je ne se quois” that leaves you wanting more.

Emily Downie
Image: Nicholas O’Donnell

One of a Kind is released on 6^th September 2024. For further information or to order the album visit The Heavy Heavy’s website here.

Watch the video for the single One of a Kind here: