INDIE ROCK - JANGLE POP

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★★★★★ The Guardian

“This is what a living legend looks and sounds like” Rolling Stone

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Dunedin’s finest, The Chills release their seventh studio album ‘Scatterbrain’, a glorious self-examination of Martin Phillipps’ songwriting hot (ish) on the heels of the hugely successful ‘Snow Bound’ (2018) and the critically-acclaimed movie ‘The Chills: The Triumph And Tragedy Of Martin Phillipps’ a year later.

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As the rave-reviewed movie premiered at the SXSW film festival, The Chills headed out on their first US tour since ’96 to further accolades whilst revisiting those esoteric extremes so wonderfully collected in the film which then simultaneously premiered around the world.

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“It’s about artistic integrity, self-realisation, self-acceptance and a reflection on mortality.” The Guardian

Now, Phillipps is taking stock of things – everything. Yes, everything.

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The result is this triumphant new Chills’ album ‘Scatterbrain’, a thought-provoking and evocative stock take from a man who has lived through good times and bad.

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But now, the world is a different place and optimism is in short supply. Viewed from the perspective of a man understanding his age and indeed his own mortality, ‘Scatterbrain’ is underpinned, as ever, with catchy melodies and an incisive turn of phrase; it takes a mature look at matters arising with a side order of perspective as opening cut ‘Monolith’ displays.

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“There are hard but important truths in our history. I know that it's often said that you learn from those lessons or you'll end up repeating the mistakes” Phillipps attests of ‘Monolith’ which follows the majestically haunting and fatalistic ‘You’re Immortal’ in which he examines his current position and nods sage-like to his descendants. There’s a stark honesty in these songs, the clock is ticking on ‘Hourglass’ and ‘Destiny’ with a fragility that sees our narrator fearing the future and even our very understanding of it.

‘Destiny’ is the perfect candid observation on just how we’ve messed things up: “We're finding even more reasons to shut down rational dialogue in an era of fake news and disbelief. Good luck with the new dark ages!” We live in hope and with a gloriously uplifting 32 minutes to play on repeat as the world continues to confuse. ‘Scatterbrain’ is a life passing before your ears as uncertainty increases and fake news rumbles on; during which aliens invade, Phillipps scales the walls beyond abandon as he probes the minutiae of worlds within worlds and the hourglass fills.

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A landmark album from one of the great modern song writers, it’s pure pop music for the new normal and we can’t wait to see how it ends...

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The Chills are: Martin Phillipps (guitar and vocals), Callum Hampton (bass and backing vocals), Todd Knudson (drums and backing vocals), Erica Scally (guitar, keyboards, violin and backing vocals) and Oli Wilson (keyboards and backing vocals).