Black is Back

There are times where I just do internet searches to see if I can turn up any news about a new Small Black release. It's been some time since their last proper release, 2010's New Chain (right around when I saw them live). Unfortunately, my searches as of late have been fruitless.

This week, news of a new Small Black release coming in May dropped in by lap, courtesy of the the 'Gum. Yes, Black is back, and they've emerged with a more expansive sound on the "Free At Dawn" single. Absent from this song are some of the blissed-out theatrics that served the band so well on songs like "Search Party" and "Photojournalist" from their last record and the low-fi stuttering cheap keyboard beats of their debut EP. The new track has what feels like a steady slow build, climaxing in hazy, lazy guitar solo over repeats of the of the chorus of "free at dawn". One can imagine a man, emerging fatigued from a third shift at work, in the early morning hours. He squints in the sun as he scans the parking lot for the car that will liberate him from his nightly grind. "Free At Dawn" is the soundtrack to his drive home. A cassette, well worn from use, playing from the stereo in the dash as he makes his way to a good day's sleep.