Submarine Bells

The underwater imagery of the cover and title are well suited to the Chills' sound, which always has a dark, murky quality, even on a pure pop melody like "Heavenly Pop Hit" or harder rocking numbers like "The Oncoming Day" and "Familiarity Breeds Contempt". Martin Phillipps' voice stays relatively low in the mix, coequal with other instruments, and the songs often rest on a chordal wash of keyboards or guitar. A strong set of songs are bookended by the upbeat "Heavenly Pop Hit" and the broodingly lovely title track.