Over five years after delivering their last full-length, 2015’s Best Blues, Small Black are set to return next month with a new album called Cheap Dreams. Early singles “Duplex” and “Tampa” arrived over the last few months, and now the chillwave pioneers are back with “The Bridge”.
Built off a patiently sanguine piano line, “The Bridge” is an ode to Rockaway Beach, a favorite oasis for New York escapists. For those spending most of their time in the concrete jungle of the boroughs, it’s a magical slice of Atlantic coastline, and the song’s dreamy longing transports listeners right back to those shores.
As singer Josh Kolenik explained in a statement, the lyrics are specifically from the point of view of his Uncle Matt, an individual Small Black fans may recognize from the band’s first-ever music video, 2009’s “Despicable Dogs”. Said Kolenik,
“Matt was a legendary surfer, board shaper, and my boyhood idol — the king of the Long Beach boardwalk. For the last few years of his life, following a sudden stroke, he was stuck surf casting for stripers on the beach instead of out there in the waves. The song is about holding onto the optimism that another wave is coming down the pipe.”
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“The Bridges” comes with a video from director Samuel Stonefield and starring TikTok star Rece Delo. Watch the lovely black and white clip below.
Cheap Dreams arrives April 9th via Small Black’s new label, 100% Electronica. Pre-orders area available now, with a limited edition Red Rain vinyl version for sale exclusively on 100% Electronica’s website.
