The Chills are returning to America. That alone should be the post today, because that's such great news in and of itself. With a Washington, D.C. date on November 14, there's yet another good bit of news to relay. The band's touring these shores in support of the vinyl reissues of 1990's Submarine Bells and 1992's Soft Bomb. And, if that wasn't enough to get excited about, the group's prepped a 3-song EP, out now digitally, and on offer on vinyl at the U.S. dates of the tour.
Scatterbrain-Storms: Outtakes features tracks written for 2021's Scatterbrain, but ones left off the final album. The cuts are all excellent, of course. "The Dragon with The Sapphire Eyes" sounds like the peppier numbers from the 2021 album, while "No One Knows Better Than Me" is a deliberate bit of business, a march towards (or backwards to?) the sort of chamber pop Martin Phillipps did so well on 1992's Soft Bomb. EP closer "Nowhere" is a showcase for the other players in The Chills, as each member gets a bit of a chance to flourish and shine here. The tune is simple and catchy, but the production and ornamentation of the instrumental bits is what elevates this into something wonderful.
Scatterbrain-Storms: Outtakes is out now via Fire Records. More details via the Bandcamp link below.
More details on The Chills via the band's Facebook page.
[Photo: Alex Lovell-Smith]