For the latest single ‘Chains of Love’, Charli worked with Finn Keane and Justin Raisen. Speaking of the track on her Instagram story, Charli stated that they wanted the song to feel "on the brink of brokenness whilst still being totally luscious, sumptuous, and orgasmic”, with these opposing ideas working together to create a brilliant, powerful single. Keane and Raisen both worked with Charli on her album ‘True Romance,’ and ‘Chains of Love’ feels like a return to form on the 2013 album's sound.
The track brings a lighter, brighter sound than her earlier release this week, ‘House’, but maintains the edgy Wuthering Heights atmosphere. The lyrics evoke a stirring, gothic nature, especially with descriptions of the agony of love: "I'd rather light myself on fire / I'd rather wear all these scars / I'd rather watch my skin bleed". These verses, delivered in a talk-singing style, build tension against the floaty, echoey musical backdrop.
This tension is broken by a buildup of varied percussion, all while Charli belts the chorus and adds moments of falsetto to create a big cinematic sound - especially when paired with the film's latest trailer. The track feels as though it takes inspiration from Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Hounds of Love’. This is achieved not just through the obvious connection in subject and title, but also through the songs' dark yet whimsical atmosphere and classic pop-ballad structure.
The use of background echoing and reverb effects is what we have come to know with Charli’s style. Yet for this track especially, along with the subject of Wuthering Heights, they help to cultivate a gothic, spooky sound. Strings throughout the song create an emotional level and sense of longing, which is developed through yearning lyrics: “Can't breathe without you here / The chains of love are cruel / I shouldn't feel like a prisoner”.
Isabel McDermott
Image: 'Chains of Love' Official Single Cover