We’ve all been there: the fast-food drive-thru, rubbing our hands together, getting stoked for our “extra ketchup” cheeseburgers and large Cokes, only to pull away and realize that, shockingly, we’ve been given the wrong order, maybe a small Coke and some weird fish popper things. Well, I’m in my car right now sitting in a fast-food restaurant parking lot and I’m looking at the new Small Black record, Limits of Desire, thinking about how this is just like the time my mom accidentally put “Casimir Pulaski Day” by Sufjan Stevens on her workout playlist and ended up napping instead of pumping some iron. You see, I was expecting Big Black’s Songs About Fucking — I was sure I ordered a large.
I’ll admit, I was bummed at first, but I’ve come around. Sometimes it’s really a good thing when mix-ups like these happen. I mean, there’s no way I’m going to be ready for swimsuit season if I keep tossing back extra-large Cokes at the rate I’m going. Unlike Songs About Fucking, Limits of Desire is out May 14 on Jagjaguwar, and though it’s still in line with Small Black’s synth-pop sound (which is definitely not chillwave, thank you very much), it reportedly sports a more refined sound, dropping the layered production of 2010’s New Chain (TMT Review) in favor of a more direct sound. No ketchup, light mustard, hold the onions.
Small Black will play an album announcement show in Brooklyn on March 8 before heading to SXSW for a series of performances. No word yet on a new Medium Black record, though unsurprisingly, it’s slated to be third-wave ska.
Limits of Desire tracklisting:
01. Outskirts
02. Shook Loves
03. Limits of Desire
04. Only a Shadow
05. Proper Spirit
06. Breathless
07. Sophie
08. No Stranger
09. Canoe
10. Free at Dawn
Dates:
03.08.13 - Brooklyn, NY - 285 Kent
03.14.13 - Austin, TX - Red 7 (SXSW)
03.15.13 - Austin, TX - Lustre Pearl (SXSW)
03.16.13 - Austin, TX - TBA (SXSW)
• Small Black: http://www.small-black.com
• Jagjaguwar: http://www.jagjaguwar.com
More about: Small Black
