Submarine Bells
The Chills · 1990
36 min · 12 tracks · alternative rock
Bright melodies intertwine with jangly guitars and introspective lyrics, creating a dreamy landscape of alternative rock.
Top tracks — play these first
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Heavenly Pop Hit — This track encapsulates the album's bright and catchy essence, blending infectious melodies with reflective lyrics that explore fleeting moments of joy.
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I SOAR — With its expansive soundscape and soaring vocals, this track exemplifies the band's ability to elevate simple themes into anthemic expressions of freedom.
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Submarine Bells — The title track weaves together intricate instrumentation and evocative imagery, representing the album's overall theme of nostalgia and longing.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong melodies and production but lacks some cohesion in its pacing.
What we noticed
- The first three tracks feature bright melodies with jangly guitars, establishing a consistent sound before shifting to more introspective themes in the following songs.
- Several tracks incorporate layered vocal harmonies that enhance the dreamy quality of the music, particularly in 'Heavenly Pop Hit' and 'Effloresce and Deliquesce'.
- The album closes with the title track, which features a gradual build-up of instrumentation, creating a sense of resolution after the preceding emotional explorations.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- short, reflective listening sessions
- dreamy, melodic background ambiance
- contemplative late-night vibes
- gentle emotional explorations
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Submarine Bells is The Chills' third studio album, following the critically acclaimed Kiwi classic Brave Words in 1987. By this time, the band had solidified their presence in the alternative rock scene, showcasing a matured sound while maintaining their signature melodic style.
- Stylistic neighbors
- The Bats· The Go-Betweens· The Clean
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Heavenly Pop Hit 3:28
- 2 Tied Up in Chain 3:16
- 3 The Oncoming Day 3:06
- 4 Part Past Part Fiction 2:56
- 5 Singing in My Sleep 2:40
- 6 I SOAR 3:05
- 7 Dead Web 2:16
- 8 Familiarity Breeds Contempt 3:21
- 9 Don’t Be—Memory 4:46
- 10 Effloresce and Deliquesce 2:45
- 11 Sweet Times 0:42
- 12 Submarine Bells 3:41
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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