Lee’s Listening Stack: David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights – ‘Left By Soft’
David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights
Left By Soft
Yep Roc
Kilgour, the former front man of the Clean offers another example of a gently cushioned sound that effectively breaches the divide between today’s indie revisionists and the classic instrumental swell of bands like the Byrds and the Barracudas. Having his current band the Heavy Eights in tow adds a certain amount of oomph, as demonstrated by the opening instrumental “Left By Soft” and “Way Down Here,” which finds the band veering from a gentle meandering intro to a Foo Fighters-like crush. Yet it’s the semi-psychedelic lilt of “Autumn Sun” and the adroit instrumental “Purple Balloon” that affirm their particular prowess as far as juxtaposing some sturdy resolve with a dreamy dalliance. The approach can be a bit hazy at times, as the hallucinatory “Theme” seems to indicate, but overall this a solidly assertive effort, one that finds Kilgour and company moving ahead confidently and leaving some melodious tunes in their wake. In the refrain of “I’ll Climb Back Up That Hill,” they attest to that resolve, and at this point it’s clear they’re remaining true to their word. – Lee Zimmerman
Lee Zimmerman is a contributor to a variety of publications, including Blurt, M Music & Musicians, New Times, Goldmine and Amplifier
This review appears courtesy of Amplifier, 50,000 Watts of Non-Stop Indie Rock http://amplifiermagazine.blogspot.com/