The Heavy makes no bones about it. The Hurt & The Merciless is a breakup record, through and through, from the leadoff track that repeats “The raindrops won't stop falling from my eyes,” to the fittingly titled closer, “Goodbye Baby.” The pain of real life has seeped its way into the record’s marrow. But it’s celebratory, too. Granted, it’s not quite the giant middle finger that put the band on the map when “How Do You Like Me Now” became one of 2009’s monster hits, but the record does employ pounding the rock and roll neo-soul that’s defined the British group across four records, in hopes of finding catharsis somewhere on the other side. Lead singer, Kelvin Swaby joined me for a couple of pots of TV during a stop in New York just ahead of the band’s upcoming appearance at South by Southwest to talk love, loss, growing up, and the eternal importance of a great record collection.
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