Brave Words

Martin Phillipps, already on his 8th or 9th or 30th lineup of the Chills, made a near masterpiece with Brave Words. Keyboards, guitars and the New Zealander's reedy voice drive brilliant songs that make something new of concepts like "Rain" and "Ghosts" while also giving forth with deceptively cheery formulations like "Look for the Good in Others and They'll See the Good in You." Phillipps constantly surprises here, putting pressure on his tidily constructed tunes by blurting out dark fantasies about death and romance and the death of romance. The CD adds three bonus tracks. --Rickey Wright