07: Andrew Wright on ‘Heavy Heavy’ by Young Fathers
Sometimes joy spontaneously appears where it is not expected—where it should not be—disturbing the standard flow of (the sometimes unbearable) normalcy, eliciting an unplanned—if not inappropriate—response which even defies context. For example, when Israel released Palestinian hostages in early 2025, celebrations among Palestinians were so bothersome to authorities that Israel had to ban them welcoming the prisoners home. Among the horrors being committed in Gaza, joy—albeit briefly—existed in Palestine. When joy starts to break through the cracks, an illegitimate regularity is no longer able to hold our experience. At its most primordial, this is what art evokes and, in this way, art becomes choiceless: the decision to react, to dance, to create seems forced.
There is something in Young Fathers’ 2023 album Heavy Heavy that defies domestication. First thing of note is the band’s refusal to be inscribed into any specific genre, which makes every next track an unexpected turn down some different path with only the trust and familiarity of the band itself. Similar to bands like Algiers and Mourning [A] BLKstr, Young Fathers are not afraid to move into new territory only after a few bars. Secondly, Heavy Heavy welcomes the listener into an immediate joyful site—some displaced coordinates where one feels a part of something larger.
The album establishes its tempo in tracks like “Drums” and “Sink Or Swim,” which is especially felt in its absence. Even with lessened urgency, it is difficult to not move during “Rice” and “I Saw.” A much needed reprieve hits in the middle of the album, but only so one can let their body rest while the mind races on. “Tell Somebody” and “Geronimo” are songs of anxiety, a hopelessness taken hold, but with an assurance that it’s not felt alone. A turn into “Shoot Me Down” betrays that we never left dangerous ground, but “Ululation” and “Holy Moly” remind us of why we ever dared tread into such territory. Finally, “Be Your Lady” literally thumps us back into life leaving us in the cold, open real. What choice do we really have?
– Andy, November 2025
Andrew Wright is a Detroit-based journalist, writer, and comedian. He is a frequent contributor to Detroit’s Metro Times and People’s World. His work has also been published in Against The Current and Iskra Book’s journal Peace, Land, & Bread. He has also been a frequent panelist at regional MLA conferences presenting on topics of film, politics, and mental health. In 2025, Andrew was a resident at Château d'Orquevaux Artists & Writers Residency as a Denis Diderot grant recipient.
