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
Reconstruction
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We could try all day.
You just put it back together wherever you remember
Reconstruct the day.
Dont got ... an idea of how it was
Dont got ...of the smoking glass of where we were.
Reconstruct the day
Oh, oh, oh!
Everybody who run away
The rumors pulling in
For a night I...
Ask my lip to taste yours
It was true, but I knew
Uh, yesterday was mine to do what I want to
Reconstruct the day
Reconstruct the day
... want to help me
You just put back together whatever you remember
You just put it back together whatever you remember
Reconstruct the day
Reconstruct the day
How you want it!
How you want it to be!
Reconstruct a day
Reconstruct a day
How you want it to be!
How you want it!
The lyrics to Small Black's song "Reconstruction" convey a sense of nostalgia and the desire to piece together fragmented memories. The repeated phrase "just put it back together wherever you remember" serves as a metaphor for reconstructing the past. The singer acknowledges that they may not have a clear idea of how things were or where they were heading, but they want to make an effort to recreate the day.
The chorus emphasizes this longing for reconstruction, urging the listener to join in the process: "Reconstruct the day, oh, oh, oh!" It suggests that by reconstructing the past, they can regain a sense of control and possibly find closure. The line "yesterday was mine to do what I want to" suggests that the singer feels a sense of ownership over their own past actions.
The second verse introduces the idea of running away and rumors swirling around, possibly alluding to a failed relationship or an escape from reality. Despite this, the singer recalls a moment of intimacy, where they asked for a kiss, acknowledging its truth but also their awareness that it may be a fleeting moment.
Overall, "Reconstruction" captures a yearning to piece together scattered memories, both in terms of personal experiences and relationships. It reflects a desire to take control of the past and determine how it should be remembered and understood.
Line by Line Meaning
Just put it back together wherever you remember
Gather and piece together the fragments of memories, no matter where they may be, in an attempt to recreate the past.
We could try all day.
We have the opportunity to make endless attempts at reconstructing the past.
You just put it back together wherever you remember
The responsibility falls on you to assemble the memory fragments in any recollection you have.
Reconstruct the day.
The goal is to rebuild and revive the memories of a specific day.
Dont got ... an idea of how it was
Lack of comprehension or understanding about the original state or condition.
Dont got ...of the smoking glass of where we were.
No recollection of the hazy, uncertain place we were in.
Reconstruct the day
Undertake the task of reconstructing the memories of that particular day.
Reconstruct the day
Recreate the day, piece by piece, through memory recall.
Oh, oh, oh!
Expressing a feeling of excitement or realization.
Everybody who run away
All those who have fled or escaped from something.
The rumors pulling in
Whispers and gossip drawing closer, engulfing us.
For a night I...
During one particular evening, I...
Ask my lip to taste yours
Desire for intimacy and closeness, reflected in a request for a passionate kiss.
It was true, but I knew
The connection we had was real, but deep down, I was aware of its limitations or transient nature.
Uh, yesterday was mine to do what I want to
In the past, I had the freedom and agency to make my own choices and decisions without constraints.
Reconstruct the day
Rebuild the memories and experiences of that specific day.
Reconstruct the day
Piece together the fragments of that day to form a coherent narrative.
... want to help me
Is there anyone who is willing to assist me in this process?
You just put back together whatever you remember
It is up to you to reconstruct and assemble the memories, using whatever fragments you can recall.
You just put it back together whatever you remember
Take the responsibility of reconstructing the day by gathering and reassembling any memories you can grasp.
Reconstruct the day
Engage in the act of rebuilding and restoring the memories of that particular day.
Reconstruct the day
Bring back to life the events and emotions of that day through reconstruction.
How you want it!
In what manner or form do you desire the reconstruction to occur?
How you want it to be!
How do you envision the ideal outcome of the reconstructed day?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: JEFF CURTAIN, RYAN HEYNER, JOSH KOLENIK, JUAN PIECZANSKI, BRIAN GRAYSON SANDERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind