Maybe writing a "review" about an album from a decade ago is a little strange. However, what I will attempt to show in this essay is just how timelessly gorgeous and perfectly executed this recording is.
I must first admit to having a pretty glaring bias in writing this: Small Songs is the brain-child of Alex Burgoyne who I have had the pleasure of making music with in various formats since 2006. He is a musician that I think extremely highly of. In fact, I could speak equally highly of all the musicians on this recording (Fran Litterski (voice, glockenspiel), Kyle Tucker (electric guitar), Josh Bryant (electric bass), and Dan DiPiero (Drum Kit)). In fact, Alex and Dan are prominently featured in my project, Turtle Boat.
The guitar player in me wants to take a moment to talk about Kyle Tucker. Kyle is a truly brilliant guitarist that I think very highly of. Rather than trying to impress you with chops alone, Kyle's accompaniment on this record is a thing of beauty. His restraint on this recording is an absolute lesson in how to serve the music you are playing, rather than your ego. Most guitarists would be wise to take a note from Kyle's book. (I know I have!)
In my opinion, the pinnacle/climactic moment of the entire record occurs (very appropriately) approximately halfway through the second-to-last track, "Don't Forget I Loved You". After the first two iterations of verse/chorus, the band almost comes to a halt as the improvisation section begins with a couple sparse perfectly intertwined statements from Alex and Kyle. After the band reaches a peak in the group improvisation led by Alex, the rest of the group joins in, led by Dan for another group improvisation which equally shows off the mastery of each musician without for a moment straying from their dedication to serving the music. In other words, it is so extremely clear that these musicians are playing to the PIECE and not simply showing off their abilities. At the end of this improvisation section, a recapitulation of a verse occurs. This time, in my opinion, the driving force behind the increased emotional weight of this verse comes from Dan's quarter note pulse which begins with the most light and gorgeous "pings" you've ever heard coming from a ride cymbal which then evolves, while sounding as calm and poignant as a ride cymbal in this context should, while also having the emotional weight of a thousand lead bricks falling from the sky directly onto your head with each pulse as it drives the entire band forward through what might be some of the most gorgeous improvised counterpoint that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing(!!!).
I could attempt to edit all of the passing thoughts I have about this record into a coherent article highlighting how and why some of my friends have made a record that absolutely destroys me upon every single listen (...) However, I do find it very fun and interesting to read the notes I wrote to myself as I was listening to the record with the intention of writing about it. Please remember that this record was on heavy rotation for about a decade prior to me deciding to enforce my thoughts about it to the public. What follows are my unedited thoughts that I jotted down after deciding that I needed to tell the world about how effing gorgeous this record is (!).
Arlo: builds from the intro. Kyle plays a beautiful harmonized accompaniment which, paired with a simply gorgeous melody from the glockenspiel, opens the door for an energetic introduction that gives you a preview of what these musicians are capable of while at the same time not preparing you at all for the onslaught that this record is going to do to your heart. After getting a taste of how cohesive this group of musicians are, this introduction ends with Josh's chordal accompaniment beginning to give a hint of the lament that is to come.
"Hey" opens with a fast line from Kyle and Josh which leads into a group improvisation that eventually gives way to Dan and Josh setting up time that sounds exactly like opening your window on a dark quiet rainy evening. After Fran enters with the melody we hear some lovely dovetailed accompaniment from Alex and Kyle while the lyrical content draws you in to to the slowly developing and ever-gorgeous melody.
The way the resolution to tonic in the choruses of "Where are you now" seem to ebb and flow and only come together at the last moment is a thing of true beauty. I imagine my heart as a way-underfilled water balloon bouncing, (falling), (dripping?) on both sides of some metaphoric divide, each pass being equally beautiful as it is destructive.
Speaking of ways to take the simple idea of tension -> resolution (Keep reading! Boy, do I have a redacted record to sell you! It's by a group called Small Songs!).
One of the moments of this record that tends to find its way into my head and linger there for months at a time is the transition into THE LAKE. I think it's safe to say that the amount of time that the phrase, "The river's flowing very fast, I want to go and swim ..." has repeated hauntingly between my ears as I go about my day would probably aggregate to a total of several years at the very least ...
"Oh what fun it is to swim. I-n the lake. Oh what fun it is to swim. I-n the lake."
Chills and goosebumps. Every. Single. Time. Without fail.
"New Shoes" features one of my favorite "Burgoyne-ism's" of all time. Such a great way to use a tritone-sub/half-step resolution in a song context.
"Kick the ball. Pass it. Get in the goal."
Jeez - the way Fran enters with this melody with Alex's counter - so effing gorgeous. Uses one of my favorite mechanisms - repeat over and over with increasing intensity.
Sitting in a tree is such a beautiful way to get acquainted to Fran's impeccable delivery along with Kyle's sensitive and ever-supportive accompaniment.
Okay -- I promised to not edit my notes on this record, so there you have it (warts and all!).
Please join me in requesting a Small Songs reunion AND/OR please let me know when the ballet that Josh wrote for the band (um, hello (!!!)) has its premier performance. In the meantime, I know that whenever I need a good cry - Small Songs has my back.