Cincinnati four-piece, The Heavy Hours, have debuted with their fantastic single, ‘Don’t Walk Away’, released through S-Curve/BMG.
The irresistibly catchy melody will leave you singing the compelling lyrics and dancing to the wonderful sounds of folk-rock. The track was co-written by The Black Key’s frontman, Dan Auerbach and was produced by Simone Felice, who has also worked with The Lumineers, Jade Bird and Matt Maeson.
The influence of The Black Key’s recent work and Auerbach’s solo releases is clear on this record, through a pleasant mix of folk and American rock ‘n’ roll. Felice was the perfect person to work with the Ohio quartet, having proven his success with countless other folk-rock artists.
They adapted their name from one of William Butler Yeats’ autobiographies after forming in 2018. Two years later The Heavy Hours are collaborating with huge names in music and are being streamed thousands of times on Spotify.
The folk-rock sound is reminiscent of Kurt Vile and Vance Joy and clearly caught the attention of Auerbach, as he invited the band to write some tunes with him at his Easy Eye Sound headquarters in Nashville. This has put them in good stead as Felice put his spin on the cheerful sounding track.
Michael Marcagi’s soulful vocals are warm and inviting. The song is hopeful as Marcagi joyously sings I got to have faith, that’s why I pray that you don’t walk away. The tambourine and group harmonies add a wholesome feel, and the guitar solo epitomises the tone of ‘Don’t Walk Away’. It feels like the peak of the song and demands the listener to join in with their best air guitar solo. This song will certainly leave you with a smile on your face.
The Heavy Hours are sound confident, ambitious, and joyful and I cannot wait to hear what they release next.
Header credit: Devyn Glista
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