En 1990, la Nouvelle-Zélande est une terre de miracles. Dopée par le label Flying Nun Records basé à Christchurch, la scène néo-zélandaise a des groupes qui ont les dents et qui enregistrent des disques de qualité. Il y a les Verlaines, les Bats ou encore Jean-Paul Sartre Experience. Et il y a les Chills. Martin Phillipps, le musicien qui se cache derrière ce groupe à géométrie variable, écrit les plus belles chansons de son continent. Il ne va pas s’attarder longtemps chez Flying Nun Records. Après un premier disque (Brave Words en 1987), Phillipps prend la poudre d’escampette et signe chez Reprise Records. L’Amérique est à portée de main.
Mais Phillipps est seul et se retrouve face à des très grosses écuries comme R.E.M.. La greffe ne va pas prendre et les ventes ne seront pas au rendez-vous. Les Chills ne sortiront pas indemnes de cette ruée vers l’or. En 2020, les Chills n’ont jamais été aussi présents. Et les chansons de Submarine Bells et Soft Bomb sont toujours les plus belles et n’ont pris aucune ride.
The Chills – The Male Monster from the Id
There’s a part of me that’s in disguise
Though I fight to see, it won’t arise
I’d avoid your eyes, denying
Something dark and primal surviving
I have another side I try to hide
It cannot escape because if it tries
There are defences raised around it
For I chose to keep it surrounded
Got to stay on guard always, want to keep my caveman hidden
Everyone has some off days when we make bad decisions
Each man I’ve seen has some animal behaviour in him
Some can conceal better the male monster from the id
Got out, destroyed his cage
Saying thoughtless things with mindless rage
And I’ve seen him harm those I’m close to
With his charms he’s so hard to see through
Got to stay on guard always, want to keep my caveman hidden
Everyone has some off days when we make bad decisions
Each man I’ve seen has some animal behaviour in him
Some can conceal better the male monster from the id
I hurt you
I’m sorry
And I promise I won’t do it again
And I’m mending all my errors
I really am
But my Mr Hyde, he lies and lies
It’d take a Superman to supervise
But imagine all the damage
If the hidden man that took lives
Forbid the planet survives
I’m not like that every day
I’m not normally that way
You need convincing I can tell
I don’t say this very well
I’m sorry
I hurt you
And I promise I won’t do it again
I’m mending all my errors
I really am
The male monster from the id
The male monster from the id
The male monster from the id
The male monster from the idDiscographie
The Chills
Submarine Bells et Soft Bomb des Chills seront disponibles le 6 novembre 2020 chez Fire Records.
- Heavenly Pop Hit
- Tied Up In Chain
- The Oncoming Day
- Part Past Part Fiction
- Singing In My Sleep
- I SOAR
- Dead Web
- Familiarity Breeds Contempt
- Don't Be - Memory
- Effloresce And Deliquesce
- Sweet Times
- Submarine Bells
- The Male Monster From The Id
- Background Affair
- Ocean Ocean
- Soft Bomb
- There Is No Harm In Trying
- Strange Case
- Soft Bomb II
- So Long; Song For Randy Newman Etc.
- Sleeping Giants
- Double Summer
- Sanctuary
- Halo Fading
- There Is No Point In Trying
- Entertainer
- Water Wolves
- Soft Bomb III