The Wounded Lovers painted London’s swinging 60s dive bar scene with neo-pop colour in ‘A Bar Called Paradise’

Wounded Lovers pulled listeners into a hazy neo-pop dream with A Bar Called Paradise, a standout from their cerebral and culturally conceptual album West End Intoxica. The trio paints a dive bar panorama shimmering with the kaleidoscopic colours of London in the swinging 60s. Few would dare to even think of the idea, let alone let it come alive on the airwaves like this. The quirky surrealism of a Murakami novel drifts over nostalgic piano keys while the vocals make it clear where the band stand on posturing. You sense you’ll never know what’s coming next, but no one prepares you for the brashy garage rock build-up that drives rancorous volition right through the heart of the track. Born and bred in London, Iain Fenwick leads the band as vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. Having toured the London circuit throughout the 90s, Fenwick gathered bassist Rick Jassi and drummer Paul Miles to form Wounded Lovers in 2010, following their days as The Moriartys. West End Intoxica is the first part of a trilogy, exploring mortality, youth, and the big city’s lure through Fenwick’s eyes. The album is a biographical love letter, reflecting the city’s darker side and how people get lost […]

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