Album Review: Old Heavy Hands - Small Fires

You know, sometimes I find bands in the weirdest of ways. Ways that start month-long obsessions with music. It’s always bands that are nowhere near me here in the UK. For the longest time, I have loved southern rock, country or anything that vaguely reminds me of the style and genre. As far as music goes it was my first love and one that I have never and will never let go. That brings me to this band, Old Heavy Hands. The five-piece rock band hailing from North Carolina has captured my imagination this year. I found them while scrolling through the new “samples” feature on YouTube Music. I quickly looked them up and found they had a new record, Small Fires. It hit me right in my soul, the first few songs played and I completely fell in love with the sound. Imagine the soul of Shooter Jennings mixed with the raw style of Drive-By Truckers and you’re somewhat imagining their sound. This new album ventures more into the rock territory of their sound but certainly has that good ol' southern flavour. In short, this album was made to my exact taste!


Sheerly from a song structure perspective, Old Heavy Hands have got their writing down to a fine science. Every part of each song flows effortlessly from verse to chorus to bridge and so on. Each song slides into the next and you feel like the album flies by. 43 minutes just melts away as all of the songs have that consistent flow. You can just tell that the songs come from the heart, with lyrics that feel so natural. The band waxes poetic about the life, troubles and tribulations of the common man. There’s not a hint of pretension or cynicism, all of it feels raw and their words cut right through. You feel this right away with the early tracks like “Between You & Me” and they carry that right through to the end with songs like “The Flood”. I think purely from a songwriting perspective, each song hit just the right chord. Nothing outstays its welcome and you’re left wanting for more come the end of the album.


The production of the album sparkles. Every piece of the instrumentation connects and leaves its mark on the music. Something that I think works quite well is the duelling vocal styles of both Nathan James Hall and Larry Wayne Slaton. Both impact the music with contrasting vocal styles that lead to well-executed harmonies. From beautiful melodies to chaotic hollers, the vocals sell this album. Each song has a unique voice and it reminds me of the old country records I used to play from my Dad's old computer. I connected with the songs almost instantly, even though I’m not from the USA, there is just this magic that comes from this kind of sound. If we’re talking production then I have to mention the captivating guitar word from David Self. Not even just the guitar solos, which would have been enough to sell me. It’s the little earwormy guitar licks that get added and layered throughout the production, check out “Scoreboard Lights” and “Old Demons” to hear what I’m talking about. The subtlety of the musicianship adds another dimension to the sound. Completing the overall tone, and creating the foundation to the whole sound you have the bass and drums. Played by Josh Coe and John Chester respectively. Coe’s bass work could be overlooked but man the bass line this guy provides gives the guitars depth and a more full sound to the drum kit. The bass tone is clean and smooth. It adds just that right level of tone to the overall sound. All of the music is framed with the drum work of John Chester. It’s not overly complicated drum work, but man, the hits perfectly encompass all of the fun-loving energy of the band and manage to streamline it to noticeable structures.



If you couldn’t tell, I rather like this album. I think every year I find out about a few bands and go hog wild listening to all of their stuff. That’s what’s happened here, sort of. I’ve dove into their discography and, while I like their older songs, I do think this album is their best. Call it recency bias, but that’s my thoughts. It’s just that right mix of sound, tone and lyrics that create the ideal vibe. Whether or not I’d recommend this would have to depend on your enthusiasm for southern rock and country-influenced rock (otherwise known as y’allternative). However, if you’re into the genre itself or find yourself listening to classic rock stations a lot, I think this record is a good shout for you. It has well-written songs with some impressive musicianship which should be enough to give it a whirl once. For me, this album has become a permanent fixture of my record collection. I adore this sound and I love this album.

CHECK OUT OLD HEAVY HANDS: SPOTIFY | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK 

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