Small Black is all hooks because they need to be all hooks. With so much of the bedroom demo quality intruding on, and sometimes crowding out, the duo’s (now a quartet) strong melodic sensibilities, it’s the hooks that keep the seven song EP from being crushed under the power of its own aesthetic. Remember the summer of 2008? Or better yet the summer of 2009? That glorious run when bands once again buried catchy pop songs under an avalanche of misanthropic stereo-fuzz in the name of capturing that ubiquitous lo-fi sound? If you made your rounds of the blogosphere that year, the name Small Black was on the end of receiving end of significant critical lauding. And then, they just kinda vanished.

Now in 2010, the duo of Ryan Heyner and Josh Kolenik are back, with a remastered EP on Jagjaguwar, two new members, two extra songs not included on the initial release, and more hooks. Many more. And those hooks are buried under a gauze of reverbed synth lines and chintzy consumer-grade electronic percussion. Singing over the clattering, tumble-dry percussion and overstated synth-lines Heyner’s tired voice doesn’t try to compete, sliding comfortably between synth pad effects and Kolenik’s steady bass-lines. These tracks, while still rough around the edges, have the potential to occupy space in the same cavernous halls that groups like Beach House are playing these days. While minimal in scope, Small Black’s melodies hold commanding sway with an unexpected glimmer of grace under a pall of analog fuzz. Heyner’s lilting voice, with pronounced emphasis, is at its most affecting when it has something to push back against. Clean or naked it would lose the effect, but when rising slightly out of a brackish pool of entry-level electronics and mini-midi effects palate, it sounds insatiably good. Great even, suggesting a level depth that is hard won, both for the listener and the singer.

It will be interesting to see how the LP comes out. We have yet to see the full effect of the addition of two members, the monetary backing of established label, or the successful tour with lo-fi compatriots Washed Out. But, if this remaster of their EP is any indication, things are only going to get better.

Track List:
1. Despicable Dogs
2. Weird Machines
3. Bad Lover
4. Pleasant Experience
5. Lady In The Wires
6. King Of Animals
7. Baby Bird Pt. 2