LOTW 02: The Heavy Heavy, Kacey Johansing, bar italia
Back with more top listens from the last week. I think I saw a little bit of everything this week: some favs, some disappointments, and some that didn’t really leave a mark. Here’s what’s been standing out!
“All My Dreams” & “Man Of The Hills,” Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy (2022)
Lead by Will Turner and Geogie Fuller, The Heavy Heavy is a five piece, self-described “retro-inspired” rock band from the UK that released their debut Life and Life Only in 2022. And the one thing I’ll say is, they definitely cited their sources. The album’s opener “All My Dreams” is a modern day lovechild of The Mamas & The Papas and The Doors, with bouncing, distorted harmonies, ripping keys and a driving beat. And the fuzzy, Keith Richards-esque guitar shines straight through on “Man Of The Hills.” I mean, even the album cover is giving Count Five’s Psychotic Reaction. They did their homework.
For Brits, they give a bit of Americana at times (see “Miles And Miles”), but I’m not complaining. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for all of that. If you are too, you will enjoy this. The album itself is a quick 24 minutes and is the perfect soundtrack for your commute, your walk to get your morning coffee, or any other daily task that could use some brightness.
Listen if you like: The Eagles, sunshine, highways on the side of cliffs, convertibles, the spinners at Dead & Co shows, Dead & Co shows, Michelle Phillips
“Bow and Arrow,” “Hold Steady” &“Old Feeling, Old Foe,” The Hiding, Kacey Johansing (2017)
The Hiding is the the third album from Kacey Johansing, a CO-raised Berklee grad. This album came to fruition when Johansing moved to LA after spending some time in the Bay Area for her first two solo releases, and some duo work with Yesway. An artist with roots across multiple states, Johansing honors her cross-country pasts on The Hiding. Johansing’s crisp and persistent vocals are the thread that connects the pop-leaning beat and tight production of “Hold Steady” to the country folk/Cali rock twang of “Old Feeling, Old Foe.” While the album does fall into the greater “indie” genre, Johansing doesn’t put herself in a box. The Hiding holds individuality while still leaving room for interpretation which, in my opinion, is more than enough to set it apart from being just another release of the 2010s indie scene.
To be straightforward, if you’re going to listen to one song off The Hiding, please let it be “Bow and Arrow.” And then let me know if you feel different after. Because I did.
Listen if you like: Fleetwood Mac (but really Christine McVie), Real Estate, tumbleweeds, twinkly lights, chill nights in that may or may not include a brief existential crisis but end with you dancing it out, echoes, strings (all of them), reverb (all of it)
“Nurse!,” “punkt” & “harpee,” Tracey Denim, bar italia (2023)
bar italia’s been on my radar for a bit, and after getting the worst FOMO I’ve gotten since college seeing clips from their recent show at TV Eye, I decided it was time for a deep dive. I’d listened to the group’s pandemic baby, Quarrel, gripping to every note, and had heard a few tracks off of 2023’s Tracey Denim. I decided it was time for the still semi-recent release to get its own spot on the spreadsheet.
Tracey Denim sees more Brits citing there sources, this time with nods to The Cure’s drawn out, circular vocal effects and melodies (“changer”), Pavement’s distorted vocals atop thick, driving riffs (“harpee”), My Bloody Valentine’s psychedelic-punk textures (“Nurse!”), and more ’80s and ’90s greats. The album is a perfect combination of moodiness, dissonance, grooviness, sexiness, and poignance, wrapped up in bar italia’s own unique signature. The interplay of vocals between members Jezmi Tarik Fehmi, Sam Fenton, and Nina Cristante make the songs 3-D: for band members that feed off “unknowability,” their vocals are pretty damn definitive. Their recent signing to Matador Records (Tracey Denim was their first release under this label) suggests their time in the underground may be close to an end, no matter how cryptic their Instagram page is.
Listen if you like: “Sexy Boy” by Air, nicotine (electronic or analog), sunglasses inside, passive aggression, brooding, getting a buzz, head-banging even with tears on your face, every kind of distortion
And that’s been (part of) my week! As always, daily listens can be found on the playlist of all playlists. Ciaoooooooo :*
