Heavy Soda describe themselves as “three people who were once in the same band at different times came together to reform an old band with a new name that only one of them had been in before.” It’s clear from the outset that the Dublin trio are fun guys, and their choice of Christmas songs, a brilliant, almost as good as the original, cover of ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ and their own composition, ‘It’s All So Easy (It’s Christmas Time)’ go further to prove this.
‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ is fast and punchy – okay it’s not Noddy Holder’s vocals but it’s a fair replication of them, and it’s perhaps what Noddy would sound like if Slade released the track nowadays. The party atmosphere of the original is reproduced here, and to good effect, with the addition of some extra guitar solos.
Second A track, ‘It’s All So Easy (It’s Christmas Time)’ could quite well have been released by Slade as well, lead singer Rob’s vocals are strong and meaty, and the whole vibe takes us back to the early seventies where, through our rose coloured glasses, it was an easier and more relaxed time, and sideburns as long as one’s hair were de rigueur.
The double A side festive tracks are the follow up to Heavy Soda’s October release, ‘Elephant’, a Beatles-esque (think Sgt Pepper’s) guitar-laden track, with rock harmonies and a nice percussion section competing with the drums to provide the backbeat.
You can find Heavy Soda online on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. All their music is available from iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp.
