If I were to tell you that today I had a red wine with my fancy seafood platter, any traditionalist might feel confused, aghast, maybe even a little bit betrayed. If I were to tell you that while this feast amassed, I was listening to structurally articulate dreamy synth music, the whole scenario just seems too far-fetched and contrary to be true. But there it is. Today I drank a Malbec with my shrimp and calamari while listening to Small Black’s sophomore full length album, Limits of Desire – and, perhaps to the dismay of the aforementioned traditionalists, I loved every moment of it.
Limits of Desire was released May 14 on Jagjaguwar Records and where Small Black struggled to escape the comparisons to fellow synth-stacked bands such as Beach House and Washed Out with its debut album, New Chain, they’ve risen above with this new release. Small Black proves that they know how to place themselves perfectly amidst these fellow, reputable acts of the “chillwave” (a label the band actively eschews) persuasion, while breaking free of such genre ties.
In Limits of Desire, Small Black rely equal parts on the blurry airiness of the synth and on the structured beats and intentional composition of the drums and vocals. The album opens with “Free at Dawn,” a track that gracefully introduces the album with that very succinct drum beat and that very drifting voice that, like a gliding tour guide, carries us through the album.
We continue to glide, as if the debate of time travel has long been decided; Small Black flies us back not only to the 1980s, but very specifically to the soundtrack of a 1980s romantic comedy. The lullaby synth of “No Stranger” coupled with its not-so-subtle lyrical longing (“Take me through your barricades / push me through your city walls/ take me, I can be whoever you want”) cries of a Brat Pack production.
The only thing that thing that appears to me missing is strength in the bass or lower octaves. The tenor vocals of Josh Kolenik and the above-middle-C synth leave us a bit in the clouds occasionally wanting of a lower tone to bring us back to the ground; it’s only a small price to pay, though. Limits of Desire is available for download on Small Black’s official website; you can also check out the band’s upcoming tour dates here.
