The Heavy Heavy at The Grey Eagle
The mic stands were garlanded in red and white roses as The Heavy Heavy took to The Grey Eagle stage on April 19. The flowers in place, the Brighton, U.K.-based rockers proceeded to bring the power.
A little on the nose, perhaps, but the botanical decor was fitting for a band that draws deep inspiration from the legendary acts of the late ’60s and ’70s. Core members Will Turner (guitar/vocals) and Georgie Fuller (vocals/percussion) proudly say their goal is “making records that sound like our favorite records ever”: songs from canon-defining groups like the Rolling Stones and The Hollies.
Those comparisons easily came to mind as the group, touring as a quintet, opened its set with “All My Dreams,” also the first song on its debut EP Life and Life Only. The foundational electric organ immediately recalled Ray Manzarek’s work for The Doors; the gorgeous four-part voice arrangements compared favorably with The 5th Dimension; and Fuller’s crisp tambourine, flowing with a purple scarf, paid homage to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac.
While the vocal harmonies were on point throughout the set, I found Fuller’s voice most powerful when she could let loose on her own. In those places, its broad range, touch of grit, and backing by an acid-tinged ensemble echoed Clare Torry’s immortal turn on “The Great Gig in the Sky” by Pink Floyd.
With bands that borrow so heavily from the classic rock era, a nagging query can arise once the warm pleasure of recognition has settled in. “Why am I listening to this when the best of the ’60s and ’70s is already sitting in my vinyl crates?” one might ask. (Here’s looking at you, Greta Van Fleet.)
The Heavy Heavy answers that question in two ways. First is the band’s skill at synthesis; although Turner and Fuller’s biggest influences may come from a fairly narrow chronology, their songs fuse together genre elements from sunshine pop, blues rock, psychedelic soul, and more. There’s even the occasional twinge of country, as evidenced by a fine version of “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy” by New Riders of the Purple Sage.
Second is a rhythm section that moves things along when needed with just a smidge of punk directness. To me, that tight playing keeps the band from luxuriating too much in nostalgia. It also makes sense in the nostalgic context as a nod to the straightforward beats of the very earliest rock groups.
I look forward to The Heavy Heavy’s debut LP, slated for sometime over the next year. But catching them at this stage of their career, when they had relatively few originals to play, meant getting to enjoy a couple of crowd-pleasing covers.
The Beatles classic “Don’t Let Me Down” brought out opener Shane Guerrette, a young songwriter from Albany, N.Y., to contribute soulful lead vocals. And a bluesy rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” let Fuller embrace every bit of the Nicks vibe. It was feel-good music, and I left The Grey Eagle feeling very good.
(Photo by Jackie Lee)
