New Chain [CD]

Unless its raining outside or you're 15, albums that maintain a melancholy tone can sometimes get insufferable. But if XX taught us anything last year, it's that if you drop beats behind it, you can make melancholic music infectious. Synth popsters Small Black's weapon of choice is the reverberating 80s backbeat, a rather natural decision as its edges work rather synergistically within any emotional context. New Chain, their first full length, doesn't have any tracks that quite live up to their first single "Despicable Dogs" off last year's EP, but it is packed with moments that demand head bobbing as much as they do eyes-closed, thought-free body swaying.

There's something really interesting about dance-able music that's also self-reflective. Although a critical or reflective thought might surface within the listener, the moment isn't one that's dwelled upon. The beats lend movement and prevent the thought from getting caught in your throat. It's that combination of the upper and the downer that makes the music enjoyable without ridding it of substance. It also makes it amorphous enough to suit a range of the listener's moods, as this Swiss army knife packs the tweezers along with an assortment of knives. All of these songs could be reworked into folk songs, similar to Iron and Wine's unforgettable cover of Postal Service's "Such Great Heights."

The album opener "Camoflauge" shows just how capable these guys are at infusing 80s charm and pop nostalgia within a contemporary context. Well before the one-minute mark, the song has already introduced four equally addictive synth licks, which are sequentially stacked and then suddenly stripped away with the introduction of the vocals. Synth pop is infrequently this sophisticated or dense. "Hydra," one of the more humble and minimal tracks on the album, starts small with a bass drum and finger snaps but later snowballs and swells into something grandiose enough for an amphitheatre.

Despite the ease with which beats make these songs enjoyable, most of the tracks on New Chain would be left in line at the entrance to any club. "Goons," found midway through the album, is a notable exception. Beginning with sirens firing off over a click track and a chorus that's immediately sing-a-long-able, it's easy to imagine getting doused in champagne before making some regrettable decisions. These are guys who are clearly as influenced by Brian Eno as they are by Wu-Tang. The product is ethereal synth lined with swagger. Although the 80s throwback scene is becoming overcrowded (although with many folks deserving of acclaim), Small Black are yet another Brooklyn band worth a closer look.