Whitney’s “Small Talk” is Named Well, i.e. They’re Not Saying Much
Founding members of Whitney, Max Kakacek (left, guitar) and Julien Ehrlich (right, drums)
When Whitney released their EP Damage in anticipation of their album Small Talk, I was an impatient, eager ear. So imagine my dismay as I walked to work unaffected, this new album ringing in my ears reigning unforgettable by the end of it all.
Damage went beyond my expectations, which were already quite high given Whitney’s track record of a solid, consistent discography. I’ve long considered them the sonic equivalent of a great vat of light, and I maintain that now, but I fear after 5 albums of the same thing they’re exhausting this sound for me. One Pitchfork article claimed their music was meant for antidepressant commercials and sunsoaked indie car rides, and while I don’t disagree nor do I think that’s a bad thing–I do think that I’m ready to hear some sort of a progression in sound from that. Small Talk is named quite accurately, because it seems Whitney says nothing of substance that they hadn’t already said in Damage. While they’re perfectly fine in terms of their sound, with the exception of “Evangeline”, most of the new Small Talk tracks have been lost on me for a lack of range, and I’m honestly quite disappointed. It’s not that the album is bad, it’s full of solid production and talented musicianship, it’s that it sits vigilant in their sound. Since I’ve spent plenty of time giving the five tracks on Damage high praise (that I still stand behind), I’ll exclude them from this review for the most part for fear of redundancy, a fear Whitney seemingly lacks.
“Silent Exchange”, the album’s first track, is slow and steady; it’s honestly a bit of a boring way to begin an album, but it sets a great precedent for a classic Whitney-sounding album, something I never thought I’d be uninspired by until the end of my album-release listening session, where I sat wishing for more.
“Won’t You Speak Your Mind” has these fun descending guitar pangs that really bounce me through the song. However, I think this is where I began to realize that whether it’s slow and steady, or upbeat and enthusiastic, their music remains devoted within the confines of their preexisting sound.
I think you’ll come to learn I have nothing bad to say about any of these songs. Much like their sound, my response to them might consequentially become redundant. I love when they incorporate strings as they are introduced in “The Thread”, I love the brightness in their piano chords, the twinges of guitar that poke through or sail above, I love it all. So if they want to continue making dozens of albums full of the same song, I’ll be there listening with supportive conviction. But I’d be a liar if I ever called them progressive or monumental at this point. Whitney has become, for me, solid background music that I can tune into at any time and be pleased to be conscious of.
“Islands (Really Something)” is a cute and mellow, backporch-summer type song. The fingerpicking is like a lullaby, and there’s droning towards the end that further soothes. It’s a sweet simple song, and I think live it will sound great. It’s simple, euphonious, and contented; lay on a hill of grass on a nice day to this one. Or I guess with almost any of this album’s tracks.
“In the Saddle” is a great pickup, and follows the same excitement that Damage evoked. The drum pattern in this song is my favorite part, and I love the little quick hits of a string section as those aforementioned drums patter on. The song ends rather abruptly, which was…a choice.
“Evangeline” concludes the new songs on Small Talk, and it begins so unassuming. That is, until a theatric rumble of drums pushes us into a grand, cinematic-sounding release of horns. This song’s chorus evokes complete delusions of grandeur for me, it’s the sonic equivalent of a view from atop a mountain. Additionally, Madison Cunningham is an incredibly apt pick for a collaborator, her sound complements this song and Whitney’s greater sonic efforts perfectly. As an ardent lover of theatrics, this song is passion permeating to me, though I understand it could potentially sound a little faux-dramatic to others. My only complaint with this song is that it upsets me because it reveals Whitney’s capacity for more, and their lack of charge to pursue a grander sound besides this song. I could argue it belongs as the album closer, but “Darling” is just as decent of a send-off, so I’m still satisfied in that realm.
When I reviewed Damage, I ended on the sentiment that Whitney has a habit of beginning unassuming and then growing and morphing into a sound that is complete ascension and awe. I hoped Damage was the unassuming, and the song still to come for Small Talk was that ascension. The closest I got to that grand feeling was “Evangeline”, and the rest were just a reiteration of the “chill-indie-good-vibe” they’d already curated 5 albums ago. I’m a devoted listener to them still, because as said before, I can’t report that any of their songs are bad. They’ve just begun to wear on me. They’ll remain a solid tune for a sunny day in the grass, and that’s a perfectly fine palace to be, but I want to be back on that mountaintop lookout. Will Whitney ever get me there again?