The House That Dirt Built

The Heavy return with the old-school soul of The House That Dirt Built.

If you’ve wondered why the Northern Soul revival of the last few years never evolved beyond reductive trombone loops and divas’ absurd soul contrivances (foot-tall beehives, anyone?), take note: a record with overt ’60s samples you will not be ashamed to play at parties has finally arrived. The House That Dirt Built, the sophomore release from self-described “musically schizophrenic” English rockers the Heavy, features on-point lo-fi production that makes every track sound like it was archived from a warm 45, and collective chops tight enough to create some serious arrangements. Lead single “Oh No! Not You Again!” (featuring Noisettes frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa) is a Cramps-meets–Arctic Monkeys stomp, while the funk of “How You Like Me Now” is downright sexy. To boot, “Short Change Hero” and “Long Way From Home” are infused with surprisingly successful and cinematic spaghetti-western elements. All in all, the project comes off like a snarky jazz-club jam session gone unexpectedly credible. And danceable.