With deep roots within Gainesville, Florida’s music scene, Chimes borrows just the smallest bits from their previous members’ work (Against Me!, Averkiou, and Sunshine State) as they veer towards a more synth-driven sound, striking a balance between post-punk, synth-pop, and dark wave.

Singer/guitarist Mike Magarelli and keyboardist/guitarist Kyle Fick formed the band in 2019 as a vessel for new ideas. Bassist/singer Matt Brink and drummer Todd Weissfeld joined soon after, and Chimes began playing live in early 2020. However, the pandemic quickly paused their efforts, and Todd Weisfeld moved abroad, being replaced by Warren Oakes.

Chimes’ debut album, Pile of Parts (Ashtray Monument), is the sound of something unraveling — slow, deliberate, and honest. A record born from the weight of living, where each track leans into the darker corners of the human experience: loss, disconnection, the quiet violence of time. There’s no false uplift here, just an attempt to sit with the ache and translate it into sound. It’s bleak by design — but not without purpose.

One such example of this ache and melancholy comes via the band’s second single, “Wishing For Summer,” which immediately harkens to Disintegration-era The Cure.

Written and recorded collaboratively between 2023 and 2024, the album was captured in Gainesville by Ryan Williams at Black Bear Studios, Kevin Bruchert at Little Wing Studios, and Kyle Fick in his home. Kyle also mixed the record. Mastering was handled by Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room. The artwork — stark and fitting — was created by Noelle Shuck.

Pile of Parts (Ashtray Monument) sees release on May 23 can be ordered here.

Photo courtesy of Chimes.