Small Black started with a name and worked backwards: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, Oregon night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, New York and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician and former member of the hardcore band Silent Majority who shared friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in the attic of the beach house and surfboard shop Kolenik's uncle owned to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending late 2008 and early 2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them.
Though Kolenik had played in several bands before Small Black, the mix of shoegaze and synth pop he and Heyner hit upon felt special, and the group's lineup was complete once bassist/guitarist Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik's previous band, Slowlands, joined to bolster production and fill out their live act. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on their own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs" as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt soon after. Following their performances at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the band’s debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, they also released a split single with the like-minded Washed Out, with whom they also toured. New Chain, the band's first full-length, boasted a slightly more polished sound that reflected their consistent touring as well as their interest in hip-hop and arrived in October 2010. In late 2011, the band offered the Moon Killer mixtape as a free download from their website. The collection of new material was built on samples ranging from Pere Ubu to Nicki Minaj and featured multiple drop-ins from Das Racist MC Heems as well as remixes from Star Slinger and Phonetag.
After spending much of 2012 on the road, Small Black returned with May 2013's Limits of Desire, a more sophisticated-sounding set influenced by Talk Talk and the Blue Nile. They covered the latter band's classic "Downtown Lights" on the following year's Real People EP, which had a more dancefloor-oriented style and featured vocals from Frankie Rose. Small Black's passion for sophisti-pop grew on October 2015's Best Blues. Recorded by the band in their Brooklyn home studio and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at the Rare Book Room Studio, the album included contributions from trumpeter Darby Cicci of the Antlers and vocalist Kaede Ford. Soon after Best Blues' release, Kolenik's Uncle Matt passed away, and the memory of him inspired many of the songs on Small Black's fourth album. Arriving on 100% Electronica in April 2021, the reflective Cheap Dreams found the band returning from their hiatus with an extra dose of goth to their synth pop reveries. In 2023, Small Black looked back with a pair of archival releases. They commemorated the tenth anniversary of Limits of Desire with a deluxe edition of the album, and also issued a deluxe version of their debut EP that included previously unreleased songs from their early beach house sessions.
Biography by Heather Phares for ALLMUSIC
Camouflage
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And where am I?
I know a way through the camo I know a way to get clear Off time dreams and diamond rings So what if I won't stay?
Tossed in bleach and extra thin Who are you?
And where am I?
I know a way through the camo I know a way to get clear
The lyrics to Small Black's song Camouflage convey a sense of confusion and detachment from reality. The opening lines, "Off night teens with lesser guides, Enough of my old ways" suggest a sense of rebellion and restlessness amongst teenagers who have not yet fully found their path in life. This is reinforced by the reference to "off white scenes, messed and lined", which could refer to drug use or other reckless behavior.
The lines "Who are you? And where am I?" further emphasize a sense of disorientation and uncertainty. The singer seems to be struggling to identify his surroundings and the people around him, highlighting a sense of disconnect from the world. However, in the chorus, the singer asserts that he knows "a way through the camo" and "a way to get clear", suggesting that he is actively seeking a way out of his current state of mind and circumstances.
Overall, the lyrics to Camouflage paint a picture of youth struggling to find their way in life, grappling with feelings of confusion, disillusionment, and detachment from reality. However, there is a sense of hope and determination underlying the song, as the singer asserts his ability to navigate his way through the challenges he faces and find clarity.
Line by Line Meaning
Off night teens with lesser guides
Young adults feeling lost and without proper guidance
Enough of my old ways
Time to leave behind past behaviors and habits
Off white scenes, messed and lined
Confusing and chaotic situations
Who are you?
Questioning the identity of others
And where am I?
Feeling lost and disoriented
I know a way through the camo
Confidence in navigating through difficult situations
I know a way to get clear
Belief in finding a solution or way out
Off time dreams and diamond rings
Unrealistic and unattainable aspirations
So what if I won't stay?
Accepting that leaving may be necessary
Tossed in bleach and extra thin
Worn out and depleted
Contributed by Amelia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.