Highway To Heavenly. Heavenly

In 2029 it will be 40 years since Heavenly first formed. The band released four albums before disbanding in 1996, after losing their drummer. In 2023 the band decided to re-release its records, played a few shows and from one came the other. Single 'Portland Town' was released in the summer of last year. Now there is an album called Highway To Heavenly followed by an extensive tour taking the band through the world for old fans and new fans, like myself.

What amazes me since running this blog, how many bands out there that are still active or are active again, that I never even heard of at the time and today I'm instantly attracted to. Heavenly is one of these bands. The (bitter)sweet music on the band's fifth album is simply a joy to listen to. Original members Amelia Fletcher, Peter Momtchiloff, Rob Pursey, who were later joined by Cathy Rodgers and new drummer Ian Button who has taken the place of Matthew Fletcher joined forces once again. Together they seem an unbeatable team.

Above all Highway To Heavenly is a pop album, that taps in to everything U.K. pop is. Or, better, was in the first half of the 1980s. The album is an extremely nice trip down memory lane, where everything you remember comes forward shiny and new. The voices of Fletcher and Rodgers cannot hide their age in 2026, but still create that vibe that once was and is today. Heavenly managed to tap into what they once were and aligns itself to bands that today come from New Zealand, like The Beths and Voom.

Photo: Alison Wonderland

The music is both upbeat and bittersweet. Nearly all the songs have that combination, that make songs like this so good to listen to. That organ that cuts through the pop and poprock songs. A delicious up tempo song like 'Excuse Me' really rolls itself into my ears, not holding back, conquering my brain to settle there for the times to come. By then you are halfway into Highway To Heavenly. 

The album has already pleased you for five songs. The pop feel is all over the album, presented in a lush production. Opening song 'Scene Stealing' is the right example to explain the album by. Heavenly shows different sides to its musicianship within a few minutes. From a rich arrangement, to empty and return to the full pop vibe of the song. Dynamics are in full use, but so are all the little extra's. One more guitar, the Farfisa sound besides the regular organ, it is all there to discover.

Heavenly does it all for one whole album long. Okay, the band had decades to prepare for the album, but supposing that it used the past three decades building this album, as Voom allegedly almost did, the time was extremely well spent. Comeback album Highway To Heavenly is a superb album and, well, heavenly.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Highway To Heavenly here:

https://heavenly.bandcamp.com/album/highway-to-heavenly