The Heavy: reviews, key tracks and gritty soul-rock

The Profile

The Heavy are an English band from Bath, formed by vocalist Kelvin Swaby and guitarist Dan Taylor with Spencer Page (bass) and Chris Ellul (drums). Their sound fuses rock, funk, R&B, and neo-soul, yielding signature singles like “How You Like Me Now?” and “Short Change Hero.”

English MusicGroup from Bath, England; core members Kelvin Swaby (vocals), Dan Taylor (guitar), Spencer Page (bass), Chris Ellul (drums); active since 2007; widely known for “How You Like Me Now?” (notably performed on the Late Show with David Letterman); “Short Change Hero” and “What Makes A Good Man?” are among their best-known tracks.

Three in-depth reviews chart The Heavy’s rise from rough-edged debut to their breakout swagger and a lusher, neo-soul-tinged third act. Standouts include “How You Like Me Now?”, “Short Change Hero,” and “What Makes A Good Man?”. Production quirks color the debut, while songwriting and arrangements peak across the next two records.

Notable Quotes

❝ The album is certainly the most varied and successful by the band so far and shows how these four English guys know how to blend different styles and genres and, above all, to evoke the sounds of the past like very few can on today’s music scene.

❝ The album overall is really good, although there are some production flaws that worsen the quality, such as the overly affected voice in some songs, which gives a sort of "megaphone effect", and the overall quality of the recordings, with instruments that tend to blend into each other and a constant background hiss, as if it were playing on vinyl.

❝ In conclusion, I really liked the album, and although it didn’t have the energy of "The House That Dirt Built," it stood out for being, in my opinion, the most varied and complex of their brief discography.