The Minimum Chips story begins way back when in Brisbane, but Melbourne has been their home for many years now. The Chips are a thoughtful and unhurried band – what other band do you know has waited 11 years before releasing their debut album? But it hasn’ been a matter of waiting for the planets to align, the band gigs frequently (mostly in Melbourne) and all band members busy themselves in many other musical and art projects (The Bird Blobs, Letraset). It’s just that some good things do take time. There have been nine Minimum Chips releases over the past decade, a smattering of 7 inch vinyl and EPs, each one evolving and finessing the Minimum Chips sound.
The 60s influences are strong, particularly French pop. You’ll hear the layered soft vocals of Nicole Thibault, retro organs, old drum machines, xylophones and the band’ beautiful sense of restraint. First and foremost though, Minimum Chips are a guitar band and the sounds of humming valves and chugging rhythms (in “Know You Too Well’ & “Trouble Free’) have been masterfully captured by multi-instrumentalist band member Julian Patterson and Greg Walker (Machine Translations).
Where Kitchen Tea Thankyou really excels is in the sonic details – listen to the little percussive flourishes in “Lady Grey’ for instance – this is where the band’ unhurried approach has served them well. The details are compositional and sonic, and glow with a laid back romanticism. Fans of Broadcast, Mum and Lali Puna should enjoy.
Dan Joyce
