Martin Phillipps, the mainstay of long-running guitar pop band The Chills, has few peers when it comes to decorating his musical compositions. These are songs adorned with sharp hooks, incisive and concise lyrics, and inviting choruses. Imagine the most beautiful Christmas tree you have ever seen -- bright, shiny and promising continuing joy -- Martin's songs are like that. The latest set of gems arrived late last week in the form of Snow Bound, and it reveals Martin and his bandmates to be at the top of their game. The themes reflect the age and life experiences of the songwriter, as well as current events, and as always, observations, whether sentimental, hopeful or trenchant, are wrapped in solid melodies. Phillipps seems comfortable in his own skin, but not so comfortable that he can't take hard looks at politics ("In Harmony") and love ("Time to Atone"). "Scarred" and "Complex" demonstrate that this band can rock out like champs when the material demands, but songs like "Deep Belief" and "In Harmony" show their mastery on the more nuanced side of the coin. We highly recommend this album for fans of The Chills, guitar pop, or just good music.
Our favorite songs at this point: "Bad Sugar", "The Greatest Guide", "Scarred", "Deep Belief", and "Snow Bound".
Snow Bound is out now in vinyl, digital and CD formats via Fire Records.
Website
Bandcamp for Snow Bound
Fire Records page for Snow Bound
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