Small Fools Blend The Past, Present, and Future in Debut Album ‘Voices in the Atmosphere’

Image courtesy of Small Fools.

Small Fools is the whimsical folk duo of siblings Nathan and Ruthie Prillaman who describe their sound as “cosmic bardcore.” The bards introduced themselves in 2023 with existentialist single “Horseradish” followed by the ‘Crying in My Subaru’ EP of transportation-inspired choral compositions.

Small Fools’ eccentric blend of folk, bluegrass, choral music, and medieval polyphony is influenced by their musical training playing in rock bands and jazz combos and composing musicals and film scores. Small Fools mixes the modern and medieval, both in their lyrics and performance by incorporating a self-made medieval string drum, harpsichords, gitterns, and modular synthesizers. The result is lush, anti-imperialist, anti-feudal weirdeval jams fit for frolicking through the kingdom, late-night introspection under the stars, and witty verbal jousting.

“I Sleep Better at Night” weaves the tale of an insomniac existential crisis—”How can I know my fate? / When the fabric of time keeps stretching / I don't have the patience to wait / To live my life just guеssing.” The anxiety about time passing is timeless, and so are the classical synth beats and layered harmonies in this song. “Where Are We Going (Nowhere)” is as catchy as the Black Plague. Its bright, bouncy melody soars above the longing lyrics about a stilted relationship and the resulting anxiety of being left behind. It’s a hopeful take on the endurance of connection and emotional intimacy that lives on despite time and distance. 

If you’re looking for a haunting, whimsigoth song to listen to on moody autumn afternoons, try “Violet.” Textured harmonies create velvet depth underneath plucking strings and sparkling vocals as clear as drinking from the Holy Grail itself. The floating “2:23” is equally moving and pensive, its melodic restraint grounded with poignant lyrics—“2:23, that’s when you called out to me. 5:45 that’s when they found you alive. Thank God they found you alive.”

Although Small Fools delights in ye olde aesthetics and the dramatic flair of antiquity, their values are anything but antiquated. They cleverly use the trappings of the past to speak to the anxieties and conflicts of our present and future, like in “Letter to the Editor,” a song about questioning anti-science propaganda. “Melt in the Sun” is a reminder that the feudal system and oppression of serfs is alive and well. Instead of swords and monarchies, our modern conflict is with the modern kings who rule from their thrones of glittering technology—”I am never gonna be a man with a warhead. I am never gonna make a fortune for my soul.”

“Tree of Life” regales a fantastical fable of feverish wonder as familiar and strange as the whimsical doodles in illuminated manuscripts. “At the top of the tree that has no top / You will find my heart / Inside an egg, begging, begging / To be mollified.” Flute dances with a thick drum beat in this medieval hyperpop ballad. 

“Subject of a Picture” is sung from the perspective of a woman in a painting who doesn’t get to tell her own story. This song reimagines the artform and gives her retroactive autonomy and control over the depiction of herself. “Anchoress” carries thematic similarities, the song exploring the fascinating anchoresses of the Middle Ages, female religious hermits who became living saints and completely withdrew from secular society, spending their lives in isolation in cells connected to the church.

“Come Along for the Ride” opens with the lyrical inspiration for the album title, and it’s a deserving nod because this standout song from the album exalts Small Fools’ combination of twangy folk, classical melodies, and dripping synth. The ending track “Pomegranate” calls back to the themes of “I Sleep Better at Night” with its lush, echoing expression of the conflicting liminal space between sleep and life, ignorance and awareness—”We sleep the night with open eyes / We’re waiting for the skies to split the question ‘Is this it?’”

If you’d like to be regaled with Small Fools’ mystical melodies, they’ll be accompanying the Oh Hellos on tour this fall. Find the tour dates here, and let ‘Voices in the Atmosphere’ sweep you away below.