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
The Closer I Look
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
then where else
might one live
easy?
in tomorrow?
underneath all the spikes
left of memory's sprawl?
the closer I look
everyday at the doors!
But it felt weird
just walking out
not sure if
I came close
Minor deity
to you spoke:
"when first faced with it
take the compliment
more directions
to follow"
current sympathies
have been of use to me
got sad, did something
of note
helps to worry sometimes
the closer I look
every day at the walls
have they warned you?
are they going to?
On a bus to Duluth
heard about the scene there
the closer I look
the more it takes away
the closer I look
the further it feels/seems today/away
the more it feels/seems ok
Have they shown you
streets off the main?
Me? I Don't know the way!
Lead me there!
Lead me to
Lead me to
some practical use
lead me to
lead me to
these streets off the main
In this song, Small Black is expressing their existential concerns about finding a place where one can live without difficulty. The repeated question of "And if not here then where else might one live easy?" in the first verse suggests a frustration with their current living situation and a desire to find a place that is more comfortable. The idea of living "underneath all the spikes left of memory's sprawl" could refer to the difficulty of moving on from past experiences and trying to navigate through life with past traumas still affecting them. The repeated line "the closer I look every day at the walls" could signify the feeling of being trapped or confined, as if the walls are closing in on them.
The line "current sympathies have been of use to me" could suggest that Small Black has found solace in their current situation, but the following line "got sad, did something of note" could indicate that the sadness they feel is a driving force for creativity or motivation. The mention of Duluth in the fifth verse could be a reference to a specific location that Small Black associates with a sense of belonging or comfort, but it's unclear why the closer they look, the more it takes away.
Overall, the song seems to capture the restlessness and uncertainty that can come with trying to navigate through life and find a place that feels like home.
Line by Line Meaning
And if not here
If not in this place where I currently am
then where else
Where else would be a suitable alternative?
might one live
Is it possible to live somewhere else?
easy?
Is it easier to live there?
in tomorrow?
Is the alternative place in the future?
underneath all the spikes
Hidden under all the issues and obstacles
left of memory's sprawl?
Beyond the vastness of my memories
the closer I look
As I observe more closely
everyday at the doors!
Every day at the opportunities presented
But it felt weird
However, it felt strange
just walking out
Simply leaving without any direction in mind
not sure if
Uncertain if
I came close
I'm getting closer to finding something
Minor deity
A lesser god
to you spoke:
Addressed me in the following way:
"when first faced with it
When initially confronted with a situation
take the compliment
Accept praise with gratitude
more directions
Additional opportunities
to follow"
To pursue
current sympathies
My present emotions
have been of use to me
Have been beneficial for me
got sad, did something
Became upset, took action
of note
An action worthy of attention
helps to worry sometimes
At times it's helpful to be concerned
the closer I look
As I observe more closely
every day at the walls
Every day at the obstacles that block me
have they warned you?
Have they told you in advance of any issues?
are they going to?
Will they warn you in the future?
On a bus to Duluth
I'm on a bus heading to Duluth
heard about the scene there
Heard about the culture and lifestyle in Duluth
the closer I look
As I observe more closely
the more it takes away
The less there is left for me there
the closer I look
As I observe more closely
the further it feels/seems today/away
The more distant it feels or seems today
the more it feels/seems ok
The more acceptable it feels or seems
Have they shown you
Have they revealed
streets off the main?
Secondary or side streets
Me? I Don't know the way!
As for me, I don't know how to navigate
Lead me there!
Take me there!
Lead me to
Guide me to
Lead me to
Show me the way to
some practical use
Something that can be applied in a useful manner
lead me to
Take me towards
lead me to
Direct me to
Writer(s): Juan Pieczanski, Ryan Heyner, Jeffrey Curtin, Joshua Kolenik
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.