The Chills - Submarine Bells (1990)

This is the final NZ CD I shall be spinning this month - although I may move onto my cassette tapes.

The Chills are one of the classic Dunedin bands. Frontman Martin Phillips is the only consistent member of the band, and they have released six full length albums - several compilations and a bunch of EPs. This was their third album, and their most succesful (it attained #1 on the charts) - in part due to the explosion of popularity in the whole Flying Nun/Dunedin sound and aided rather by the opening track and first single "Heavenly Pop Hit" which I still regard as one of the Definitive NZ songs. Many of the more modern NZ bands have a polished, American sound, but the sludgy, low mix of the Flying Nun label will always stick in my head as being the true NZ sound. Although it should be noted, this album was not released on the Flying Nun label - this was their first release on a major label - Slash/Liberation.

The cover depicts, I believe, a jellyfish, although it also rather resembles a translucent mushroom. It is very blue.

The opening organ of "Heavenly Pop Hit" is utterly unmistakable, bringing with it a clarity and joy that stirs the spirit and the heart. Phillip's voice is sweet and moderately high.

We have piano and a slightly British feel to "Tied Up in Chains". It reminds me a little of Blur and Madness and that whole English Rock sound of the late 80s. Not so much the Dunedin sound at all. Of course, this is somewhat ruined by Phillip's very kiwi accent.

Another nicely rock number is "The Oncoming Day". It offers little new - just a good pace and steady rhythms, catchy chrous.

We drop to a slightly lower pace for "Part Past Part Fiction" with its dreamy, slightly surreal feeling.

"Singing in My Sleep" is vocally dominated, interlaid with tremolo guitar and keyboard rhythms.

The swooping and gliding flute leads a soft and lilting edge to "I Soar" with its slight folk feel. It's a pleasing, slow song with sunlight shimmering through dappled leaves and a leaf frolicking on the wind.

More organ/keyboards lead us into "Dead Web" with its catchy and rollicking chorus.

Fast paced "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" is a solid rock number, with its steady rhythm. Phillips' Kiwi twang really shows in this number.

Pianoleads us into the more haunting "Don't Be - Memory". Vocals are slightly distorted, echoeey, with a shade of Pink Floyd (but Kiwi).

The beautifully titled "Effloresce and Deliquesce" has a wonderfully folkish aspect to it. The vocals are fast, and pronounciation, an education! To blossom and decay. What magnificant words. And quite a glorious song too, with its playful rhythms.

"Sweet Times" is absurdly short, almost choral and over too soon.

Another haunting number, "Submarine Bells" has the symphonic power of the opening track, but is overset by a melancholy that makes it spine-chilling.

Aside from "Heavenly Pop Hit", this album was previously unknown to me. At least this time it was because it's not my CD, but my husband's (although I do own some CDs that I've not actually listened to). It certainly seems more English than I had expected - with the pacing and music found in bands like Blur and Madness - the whole Britpop explosion. Although, given this album came out at approximately the same time (or before, in some cases), it makes you wonder whether it was intentional or coincidence. The tracks are short, and the whole album only clocks in at around half an hour.

The clarity of sound is certainly very good, and it is an enjoyable and well produced album - just not entirely to my musical tastes. I could listen to it, but I'd probably not buy it (although I may be persuaded to acquire several of the tracks).

Rating = 7/10

Brunettes - Mars Loves Venus (2004)

Time for something a bit mellower, melodic and sweetly romantic, I think. Time for some more from that kiwi duo*, the Brunettes.

This is their second album, and it was released in 2004. It is fairly plain in the packaging department - the white cover features Jonathan and Heather, one at each side and a love heart and arrow in the center. Inside are the lyrics and a notice informing us that copying this disc is illegal. There is also Copy Control Technology on this disc, and when I put it in my drive it informs me there is an .exe program too. Now, my feelings on pirating music are mixed. I don't believe it's fair to the artists to have their songs stolen and distributed willy-nilly, but as a girl growing up in a small town in a small country in the days before the internet, a large proportion of my music was discovered through cassette mix tapes sent to me by my friends overseas. Since then, I have gone on to buy 100s of cds quite a few of which are from bands I would never have known about if I had not had these mix tapes. Also, the CCT means that if you own the cd but wish to add it to your computer (smartphone, ipod, ipad whatever) playlist then you can't. Except that I'm fairly certain with this one I just ripped it to my hard drive like I have (almost) every other CD I own. One of my other CDs pretended I had ripped it, then insisted I reinsert the disc into my computer if I wish to listen to it (one of my Epica ones, IIRC). For a band like the Brunettes that are not particularly well known, they are limiting themselves from being shared and heard.

Anyhow, semi-rant over. Let's get the Twee Pop a-spinning!

Album opens with "Mars Loves Venus" a redone version of one of their very first tracks. It's poppy and playful - with tambourines. To sweet and innocent, like cotton candy.

"Walk? We should run! Such is life under this burning sun..."

 Twangy guitars give us "Loopy Loopy Love". Another playful and delightful piece, with a slightly bitter edge to it:

"Gonna kill me a cupid cos a cupid causes love...."

 "Polyester Meets Acetate" is slower and kinda cruisey, with  Jonathan doing most of the singing.

Stirring organ leads us into "Too Big for Gidget", a duet in which both partners ponder falling in love with someone that they don't match up to. Height wise. Short and sweet.

"Whale in the Sand" starts with singing (squawking?) gulls/monkeys. Good rhythms. Repetitive lyrics. Kinda makes me feel summery and sunny, even if they're singing about a big dead whale (or maybe the elephant in the room is a similar concept).

Beautiful, gentle musically, "You Beautiful Militant" has rather harsher lyrics. Good beats, with a slightly discordant keyboard (or some sort of keyed instrument) edge to them.

"You pick up your gun and shoot everyone. You know what to do, to someone who don't like you."

 Jonathan takes charge of the vocals in "The Record Store". Lots of La-la-la-ing.

"These Things Take Time", like learning the clarinet. Which is how the song begins - clarinet, piano. Some nice do-doodo-dah piano playing. Maracas. Hand claps. All very school group 70s stuff. Possibly reminscent of Abba. Loads of percussion, including those little circles that clacker together. Castanets?

Bit more of an epic start to "Bestfriend Envy". Some melancholic guitar. Bouncy, but whiny lyrics - ah, jealousy raises its ugly head.

More melancholy, but "No Regrets". Beautiful, bittersweet; delicate piano accompaniment.

"Leonard Says" starts with Heather's tender, hurt vocals; then Jonathan interjects with the next line. You can actually hear Heather's kiwi accent in one of her lines. This is a conversation to musical accompaniment.

We end with the gloriously bittersweet "Your Heart Dies" in which Jonathan and Heather sing mournfully but tenderly to one another, switching out line-for-a-line. Contains what might be possibly one of the finest lines in a song:

"I could be as faithful as a seahorse and if you were a marine biologist you'd know how tender that line was."

 Mostly a vocal piece, the gentle, accompaniment of a banjo and light drums help create the maudlin mood. There's a little pause in the center, a couple of heart rending spoken lines and then more exquisitely moody instrumentation.

Another beautifully sweet, sensitive and somewhat sorrow-filled album. I love the playful innocence to the music, and the slightly darker side to some of the lyrics.

Let's go for an 8/10.

* and friends

Katie Thompson - Tall Poppy (2008)

Another mild oddity in my CD collection. Katie Thompson is a West Coast, New Zealand singer, with a fine voice. One of my co-workers was a friend or associate of hers, and I purchased this CD to support local music. For a self-published pressing, it looks very professional - the cover depicts the lovely young Katie Thompson with her acousitc guitar, beside a handdrawn poppy. Inside are some quotes and the lyrics of two of the songs - with a link to where you can find the rest. My copy is, of course, autographed.

She has a charming voice and her style of music is country, with a touch of pop. The vibe is very much a West Coast one - as you shall see from the song titles as I go through it track by track.
You can purchase it through itunes.

the first track is "Do It Today" which is essentially vocals and light acoustic guitar. Her voice is strong, but with a sweet edge to it.  She sounds rather like she's smiling.

"Karamea Cowboy" has a real western coutnry sound, which is quite funny given the lyrics:

"Holed up in Hokitika, living my life on Monteith's bitter..."

Firstly, for those of you not in the know, the West Coast NZ is not even mildly like the west of the USA. It's wetter, greener and although there are cattle and it does have a wild feel, it's rather more like Washington state than Wyoming.

"Tall Poppy" is a lovey song, rather sweet, even if the lyrics are slightly bitter. Has more of a pop music vibe.

Back into the true country again - vocals and acousitc guitar, "Gone" is your standing C&W song - ie: about leaving your loved one. Except in this case, she actually is taking pride in the fact that it is she that has ditched him.

The next one I imagine is a real pub favourite - "Monteiths on Tap".  It has a rolicking, sing-along chorus:

"Does heaven have a bar, is Monteiths on tap? Why work so hard, if he can't have that?"

A rather melancholic song - "Tears Me Down" is about the loss and loneliness in relationships and how it haunts you - bruising a part of you forever. The guitars are a little more emphatic here, and the music is very empathic.

Following it is the equally bittersweet, "Is It Ever Gonna Change?" There are some male vocals in this song too, ghosting alongside Katie's sweet, sorrow-filled tones.

"Better Left Unsaid" is a wee bit more upbeat, but still has the haunting sorrow-edge typical of light acoustic guitar and very low bass lines.

Now we get into the slightly more pop "Not the One for You" which has a stronger guitar and a slightly electronic/keyboard edge, which sounds a little out of place, but somehow also works.

This is followed by her rendition of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"* She does manage a bit of power and aggression, but for the most part, it's sweet and delicate. Even when the lyrics are a bit sinister!

The twisty guitar leading into "This is Goodbye" is beautiful and delicate, like petals falling. The vocals are soft and gentle, like tears in the morning rain. The general mood - heartbreaking. Haunting. Lovely.

We conclude with a duet "A Long Time Ago" which as advertised as "acoustic" but I think most of the album sounds acoustic (they might be electric-acoustic). Again, this song is all about the voices, the music more as a support to  than a force of its own.

At the end, we get a repeat of "Monteiths on Tap" so we can 'rock' out to it again. The lyrics have been changed to first person. This is another acoustic duet.

After listening to music where the instruments create a vast cascade of sound, this is a very gentle, very light album, it is sweet and somewhat soothing. Very pleasant to listen to. As far as country goes, it is blended well with the pop stylings. There is an innocence and naivette to her voice - not because it isn't powerful - (it is) but she feels fragile, like a flower, the sort of young lady who has yet to be hardened to the hardships of life, to truly feel love and pain and loss. Long may she keep that innocence!

Country music is "not really my thing" but I'm going to give her 7/10.

Here's her MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/katiethompsonz/
Looks like she's moved into more blues now and away from the country, her voice has gotten stronger, the music more sophisticated. She has opened for Elton John.

* I am so proud of myself for recognising this! It probably helps that I listened to Johnny Cash a few weeks ago.