heavy hometown: press

Some may say it’s scattered or lacks focus, but if you ask me, Heavy Hometown’s debut release, Action Figures isn’t scattered, it’s diverse, and it definitely doesn’t lack focus, it’s based on a dark, gritty low-fi sound similar to Joy Division, the Velvet Underground or X. It’s a sound that all too many have forgotten or never really knew. What Heavy Hometown does on this disc is pretty cool. They mix modern indie, post punk, '70s punk, lo-fi garage, and even Americana showing their ability to emulate their favorite sounds without giving in to the demands of the “in the box” thinkers who demand focus and carbon copy sonic cohesion. It’s not that Heavy Hometown is the first band to make an album like this (that would be the Velvet Underground), but they are among the few who do it well.

Drawing favourable comparisons to Arcade Fire and The National won't do this Louisville / Indianapolis band any harm. Personally, I suspect their influences go back a little further to bands like Luna and, at a stretch, The Wedding Present. They seem to have that “polished shambolic” thing going on which, when combined with synths and brass, has charm in abundance. Lyrically, they maybe sharing the meaning of life, but the vocals are mixed low and distorted, so I remain ignorant of the details. It’s no big deal. Their songs are addictive and catchy, and the tunes stick.

...(Action Figures) is beautiful and comforting in its familiarity. It is warm and surprisingly full with varying sounds and instrumentation-a remarkable feat considering that there are only three pairs of hands at its disposal.

Heavy Hometown is the latest local project to catch my ears. Jon Wood (guitar/vox), Corey Barnes (drums/vox) and Eric Park (bass/synth) make up the project and actually, like me, have ties to both Indianapolis and Louisville. They're drawing comparisons to The National, and what I like most is that most songs on Heavy Hometown's debut self-release, Action Figures (July 15th release date), don't waste your time. They generally get in and get out in just under three minutes. Each song seemed to leave me wanting more.

Heavy Hometown, a trio with members living in Louisville and Indianapolis, has worked up an excellent full-length that's remarkable more for its atmospherics than songcraft, achieving a dreamy, low-fi texture...