Brave Words [Green Vinyl - Expanded and Remastered]

by The Chills

Overview

The first proper album from the Chills, following a several-years'-long string of classic indie pop singles, is the culmination of the band's early promise. Produced by Texas art rock weirdo Mayo Thompson, the sound is thick and echoey, adding a layer of foreboding even to relatively bright tunes like the manic opener "Push" and turning songs like the brilliant "16 Heartthrobs" (a creepy, anguished memorial to Jayne Mansfield) into dark, throbbing epics. Andrew Todd's organ work is unusually prominent in the mix, overshadowing even Martin Phillipps' lead vocals on several tracks. The effect tends to treat Phillipps' voice as another instrument, which when combined with the tumbling logorrhea of his lyrics gives the sound an odd, unsettling urgency. Brave Words doesn't have the simplicity and directness of the Chills' early singles (collected on the Kaleidoscope World LP), which caused some longtime fans to dismiss the album upon its release; listened to at some remove, the merits of songs as graceful as "Night of Chill Blue" and the endearing "Look for the Good in Others and They'll See the Good in You" are obvious. Brave Words may well be the Chills' finest album. ~ Stewart Mason

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2023
Label:	Fire Records
UPC:	0809236000293
Rank:	53071

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Chills   Primary Artist
Martin Phillipps   Guitar,Vocals
Justin Harwood   Bass,Double Bass,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Andy Todd   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Caroline Easther   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Idaho   Composer
Martin Phillipps   Model,Composer,Cover Design
Justin Harwood   Model
Mayo Thompson   Producer
Billy Duffy   Composer
Danny Hyde   Engineer