Consumer Guide Album

The Chills: Brave Words [Homestead, 1988]
Like the Go-Betweens, these sexually integrated New Zealanders give the impression that they could write about anything they wanted--they choose love as a subject out of formal tact, because it's appropriate to the genre. Though they have more tunes than most--more tunes than the early Go-Betweens--what makes them stick is Martin Phillips's cracked, straining, nervous delivery, fit to break down with the next cliche (not too many formal tacticians write songs called "Rain" anymore). Side two isn't as catchy, but shows off a few other options--one song opposes settling down, another is pro. Bet they take a while making up their minds. A−