CHAINS OF LOVE play the El Mocambo March 23 and the Horseshoe March 24 as part of CMW, and April 13 at the Great Hall. Rating: NNN
Chains of Love began as a recording project concocted by Vancouver-based engineer/studio owner Felix Fung and guitarist Clint Lofkrantz as a throwback girl group. That it was preconceived may distress rock purists, but that approach allowed them to put together a crack six-piece team of local talents to suit the style. And the group’s debut EP nails the 60s vibe in both production and execution.
Lead singer Nathalia Pizarro has the kind of big, character-filled voice that soul singers envy, but that’s only one successful element. Harmonies from co-vocalist Rebecca Marie Law Gray call to mind any number of classic girl groups, while warm organs, loud Motown bass lines and rough fuzz guitars mix nostalgia with a bit of modern, lo-fi psychedelia. You can hardly call it original, but they’ve definitely done their homework.
Top track: Lately
