The Chills, Kaleidoscope World (12" EP)

Kaleidoscope World, which was assembled in the UK in 1986 and reissued in the US in 1989, collects 8 of the 10 tracks from the early Chills EPs (1981-82).  The biggest mystery of the compilation is why it omits the other two songs—there is plenty of room on the vinyl.  These singles capture the magic of the Chills.  The songs are always memorably catchy, even when weird rave-ups and break-downs interrupt the conventional structures.  Martin Phillips's lyrics are often sad in an accessible and human scale, without drama or exaggeration.  The performances and recordings aren't perfect, but the magic of the songs comes through, and the quirks always add to their humanity.  The compilation packaging does not flatter the great material herein.