Heavy, The – “That Kind of Man / Coleen ” – [Counter Records]

This UK band uses soulful grooves, big fat arrangements, and falsetto vocals to create their very distinctive sound: some Curtis Mayfield or maybe Eddie Kendrick-flavored vocals, some loud blues-rock a’ la Led Zep, and sometimes a loop-style hip hop sensibility. Tracks 1 and 2 are big and bad. Track 3 is a laid-back Al Green/ Memphis kind of thing. Don’t even try to pretend these guys aren’t heavy because oh yes they are; drive around with this sucker in the CD player, volume way up and the windows down, and you tell me. Tracks 1 and 2 serve as advance warning of The Heavy’s forthcoming full-length, which is looking to be a straight-up burner, and Track 3 is from a 7″.