Music Review: The Chills, Snow Bound

Martin Phillips ... 40 years' strong.

THE CHILLS
Snow Bound
Fire Records

How can it be? The first incarnation of Martin Phillips' band the Chills is getting on for 40 years old.

Chills fans had to wait nearly 20 years for the delivery of 2015's Silver Bullets.

With a now settled line-up it's only three years on and we're able to introduce another new release in Snow Bound.

The good news is that this is an even better record, with Martin, Todd, James, Erica and Oli combining to deliver a set of songs that spell out their unique sound, but sound even fresher, and with Martin's songwrit-ing skills are at a creative high point.

Bad Sugar starts the record and right away it's evident that we're in for a blistering ride of new-classic Chills songs. Time to Atone, Scarred, Complex, the title track, and rounded off by two top-notch tracks in Easy Peasy and In Harmony.

This is a cohesive and melodic record with Martin Phillips acknowledging he's not 25 any more, but life has given him an even larger palette to write songs that matter.