No Sinner

The wave of young bands drawing from old school soul has been one of the most invigorating trends of the past few years, and Canada now has an entry in that field with this Vancouver quartet. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Colleen Rennison, and also featuring members of Black Mountain and the Matthew Good Band, No Sinner present themselves with few frills on this seven-song debut EP. The band's chemistry is impressive on "Call My Name" and "Love is a Madness," giving Rennison plenty of space to show off her impressive vocal chops that at their best recall Bettye LaVette and Amy Winehouse. At the same time, it's unfortunate they're going head-to-head at the moment with Alabama Shakes, a band with whom No Sinner share much in common, with the critical exception of pure, ingrained soul. Still, there's a great deal to get excited about on Boo Hoo Hoo, simply in terms of No Sinner's courage to enter a field already dominated by seasoned performers. Once they get some of that experience, there's no doubt they'll be a force to be reckoned with.