How about a brand new Miss Chain & the Broken Heels single for an early Christmas present? Please and thank you! A teaser for an LP due out early next year, "Rainbow" is everything you'd expect and more from Astrid Dante and her exceptionally talented band-mates. It's out now on the one-and-only Bachelor Records. As I'd hoped, it continues the melodious pop bliss of 2010's wonderful On A Bittersweet Ride. And if these two tracks are any indication of what's to come, the new album will be the band's best yet!
Miss Chain & the Broken Heels have pulled off quite a tricky feat - they've managed to "mature" as a band without sacrificing any of the qualities that made them great in the first place. While so many power pop-ish bands wear their influences on their sleeves, Miss Chain & the Broken Heels have arrived at that place where they only sound like themselves. "Rainbow" is a twangy pop song with a bouncing beat and extraordinary guitar work. Miss Chain has never sounded better, and the melodies pour forth in sweet abundance. You can still hear hints of garage and '60s pop, but all in all there's a timeless singer/songwriter vibe at play. I like how the lyrics tell a story - and that they're delivered with such passion.
On the flip, "Searchers" is a little more of a straight forward power pop song. It's catchy and upbeat. I love the harmonies, and there's a perfect little hook that'll get you every time. The song is a great mix of the old Miss Chain and the new Miss Chain - reminding us that the difference between the two is more stylistic than qualitative. For the lack of a better term, the band's newer stuff is clearly more "sophisticated" than their early power pop by-the-book singles. But even with an amazing-sounding analog recording and a musically-accomplished band, the real goodness remains in the melodies and the hooks. This is a band that continues to pursue the perfect pop song. Miss Chain is one of my very favorite vocalists, and she and her songwriting partner Disaster Silva have again delivered beautiful and infectious material. Once "Rainbow" gets stuck in your head, you're going to want it to stay there for a very long time. Good times! I wholeheartedly recommend this band to anyone who loves great music.
-L.R.
http://www.facebook.com/misschainandthebrokenheels
http://misschainandthebrokenheels.bandcamp.com/album/rainbow-7-2
You can listen to their new album here
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