Snow Bound (The Chills album)
Snow Bound is an album by New Zealand group The Chills, released in 2018. Their second album after a 19-year gap between studio recordings, it reached number 9 in the New Zealand charts.[2] It was recorded in a number of studios in New Zealand over a space of three weeks.[3]
Snow Bound | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 14 September 2018[1] | |||
Recorded | February–April 2018 | |||
Label | Fire Records | |||
Producer | Greg Haver | |||
The Chills chronology | ||||
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Songwriter Phillipps said, "I was initially was surprised when people said, 'What an upbeat kind of record'. And I thought, 'Wait until you read the lyrics'. There is that contrast between that upbeat sound and dealing with something more personal, going back to that "Leather Jacket" approach."[4] Elsewhere, he described the album as, "hopefully a kind of Carole King Tapestry for aging punks".[5]
Critical reception
The Guardian said, "The opening track, is nearly as good as anything Phillipps has written. Snow Bound drips with his trademarks: the melancholy lyrics paired with joyous melodies; the surging, oddly maritime cast of the music; the interaction of guitar and organ; the open-heartedness of it all."[6] Pitchfork claimed it was their, "most winning album since 1990’s Submarine Bells—brash, tensile, and enormously confident".[7]
AllMusic called it, "a big pop statement, overflowing with singalong choruses, ringing guitars, rich arrangements, and Phillipps' typically trenchant observations. A perfect example of how to make a record that sounds as big as a stadium while still being driven by real emotion."[8] Classic Rock, however, said it was, "Tasteful and eloquent, minus the killer tunes".[9]
Track listing
All songs written by Martin Phillipps.
- "Bad Sugar"
- "Time To Atone"
- "The Greatest Guide"
- "Scarred"
- "Complex"
- "Deep Belief"
- "Lord Of All I Survey"
- "Snow Bound"
- "Eazy Peazy"
- "In Harmony"
References
- "The Chills - "Complex" & "Lord Of All I Survey"". Stereogum. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- Karl Puschmann. "The Chills get it together for Snow Bound album". New Zealand Herald.
- Graham Reid (10 September 2018). "MARTIN PHILLIPPS INTERVIEWED (2018): A lone guide cutting through snow". Elsewhere.
- Bill Pearis (3 July 2018). "The Chills announce new LP 'Snow Bound'". Brooklyn Vegan.
- Michael Hann. "The Chills: Snow Bound review – a rare, joyous equal to past triumphs". The Guardian.
- Alfred Soto. "The Chills Snow Bound". Pitchfork.
- Tim Sendra. "Snow Bound". AllMusic.
- "Snow Bound". Classic Rock. November 2018. p. 85.