The Heavy — The House That Dirt Built

The House That Dirt Built

Counter/Ninja Tune/Outside

Aaron Brophy (CHARTattack)

10/30/2009 2:29pm

For all of King Khan's I'm-the-new-James Brown bluster, all it takes is the 1-2 of Kelvin Swaby's scream in "Oh No! Not You Again!" and the pointed "How You Like Me Now" to take that cape right off of Khan and put it in The Heavy's camp.

Better than those songs, however, would be the Howlin' Wolf channeling future-retro classic "Sixteen." The Heavy's musical hopscotching gets dizzying from there. "Short Change Hero" borders on spaghetti western, "No Time" is a blustery rocker with a big beat bassline, "Long Way From Home" is a potent soul number and "Cause For Alarm" takes a welcome and totally credible reggae diversion.

The album sags a bit near the end — "What You Want Me To Do?" is bad funk rock and closer "Stuck" truly is a tacked on ballad at the end — but most of the time The House That Dirt Built sounds like a house where the most awesome party in the world is going on.

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