Brooklyn-based, indie pop outfit Small Black returned this week with their sophomore effort Limits of Desire, and while it blends more into the background than stands out amongst the band’s contemporaries, the music represents a solid effort thats awash with plenty of glistening, sparkly, summer sounds.
When discussing Limits of Desire, one thing should be made clear up front — you’ve heard this record before, both as a whole and in separately dissected parts. From the uptempo rhythms to the slow, melting synths, just about every aspect of this album has been attempted previously. It’s a safe composition with no element of surprise, danger or experimentation. Having said that, though, the way in which all of these familiar aspects are threaded together has seen Small Black create a perfectly functional, well-formed and fun record.
Keeping in line with the chillwave shape of their previous efforts, album number two serves as a nicely chilled and sunny caveat to the forthcoming season and its warmer climates — even more so considering the band has embraced a flurry of R&B influences and tightened their production value. Some may be put off, however, by the album’s lack of dynamics or variation and the fact that it’s very much surface without depth. Like many other records cut from a similar cloth, Limits of Desire, despite ironically being somewhat limited, serves a purpose and, furthermore, fulfills that purpose with ease.
If you’re looking for more complicated structures or a record with meaty, introspective substance, then this isn’t for you. However, if your looking well-crafted, solid and brightly-illuminated escapism, then this is just the ticket. Small Black might not be the mightiest of contenders for the indie pop crown, but that isn’t about to stop them having fun. Spend some time with this album and you might just have some yourself.