THE CHAINS
On Top Of Things! (Get Hip)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

---

They come from Montreal and the year 1966. Well, one of those things is a lie, actually. They're from now. They just sound like they come from 1966. So do a million other bands, but most of them can only imitate the bands of the era and make Xerox copies of their music, while The Chains benefit from the genuine songwriting talents of Alexandre Boivin (vocals, harmonica) and Sebastien Hould (lead guitar, organ). The thing that sets their songs apart from others of the genre is that they don't rely strictly on the blues end of the rock spectrum, often spicing it up with a great deal of soul. They have everything a garage fan loves, and there's enough jangle and pop structure in many of their songs to win the hearts of many power pop fans, though they might not admit it to their Plimsouls 'n' Posies set buddies. Relax, man, it fits just fine in any of those clubs, and in the end it's just like Mick said: it's only rock and roll. 'Sokay to like it. Oh, by the way, I challenge you to hold still all the way through "Soulin'." Frederic Charest's bass'll kick you right onto the dance floor.

© 2003 - DJ Johnson