Small Black released their latest album this week titled Limits of Desire. On this record, the band delves into the nature of desire as they ask the questions, “How are our desires limited and how, in turn, are we limited by them?” If you are looking for answers to said questions in these ten new tracks, you likely won’t find any. However, this context from which the band has derived their inspiration for this release may allow you to experience this music in a different way, and may even prompt some questions of your own.
We begin our journey into the ever-complicated world of
desire with the slowly building “Free At Dawn.” Layer by layer, this songs
develops into a dancey synth driven tune that is unmistakably Small Black, but
not without some differences from past material. Small Black’s press
release for Limits of Desire reads
that the band has “moved past the hazy,
bedroom-recorded feel of their previous releases with a refined sound that
pares back embellishments, trading dense layers for space and clarity of
vision.” For the most, part this is true. The songs on this record are more
straight forward, all of the elements clearly defined. Still, there remain some
heavily layered areas, including the conclusion of “Free At Dawn,” where the
song builds until the momentum carries the listener off a cliff as most
everything drops out abruptly, save for fading percussion that dissolves as it
moves further away.
This latest effort is more polished than previous material and reflects a maturity of
songwriting, however these changes do not necessarily add up to mean better, or
worse for that matter, just different. Hayden Kolenik’s vocals are ethereal. His
delivery is clean and his voice blends, at times, into the electronic whirlwind as a
song advances. This smooth serenade is pleasant, but overall it lacks the
distinction and quirkiness that was refreshing on the self-titled release in 2009.
There is such a thing as too polished and at times this album approaches that
point. Once a groove is established, variation on the drums is rare. Each song
gets to where it is going and then pretty much stays put for the entirety. Also,
the rhythm of the grooves on each song lacks variation between one another. But, a lack of variety isn’t all bad and, Small Black’s also represents
a strong cohesion of sonic themes and lyrical content.
Limits of Desire is
dreamy, sending the listener traveling through space. The synth sounds are otherworldly.
When I listen to Limits Of Desire, I
imagine a late night drive without purpose or destination. Mine is the only car
on the road, alone in the space of the unconscious mind, existing before words are able to
signify tangible information or explanation. I choose to play along and try to experience this
record as an inexplicable journey without origin or resolution. Album closer, "Outskirts," supports this idea as it fades away without any concrete
finality, as if the record continues without us like a set radio frequency that
becomes lost after passing through and moving out of range.
Grade: B
