Whitney Reflects On Loves Lost and Feelings Left Unspoken in ‘Small Talk’
Like the voice of an old friend you’d know anywhere, Whitney’s musicality does not need to be flashy to deserve your attention. And in their latest album, Small Talk, which was released earlier this month, their signature emotive lyricism and gentle instrumentation are on display once again.
Cover art for Small Talk (Image courtesy of Whitney)
With an unmatched tone and subtle poeticism, singer Julien Ehrlich — the Unknown Mortal Orchestra drummer who formed Whitney 10 years ago with Smith Westerns guitarist Max Kakacek — has a voice that is instantly recognizable. Over the past decade of creating music together, Ehrlich and Kakacek have consistently released projects with a cohesive sonic quality that evokes ’70s folk singer-songwriters while never feeling derivative.
Whitney’s new album, Small Talk, is a soft embrace, arriving just in time for colder weather and the need for a little comfort, and a satisfying reward for their dedicated fanbase after a three-year wait for a new LP. Small Talk has everything that makes Whitney great: gentle piano melodies, Ehrlich’s uniquely soulful voice, soft and memorable chord progressions, and thoughtful lyrics that leave you both devastated and heartened.
One of the standouts from the 11-track album is “Damage,” which takes listeners on a journey of reflection in the cruel aftermath of a failed relationship. Starting quietly and slowly, it relies on a beautiful piano melody and Ehrlich’s voice to carry the song forward initially. Then, just as Ehrlich’s sings the track’s title (“And I don’t even recognize the damage done / Yet”), a flood of sound washes over you, with melancholic guitar chords sweeping you into the current of the song, heavily reverbed and dreamy in quality.
Whitney’s collaboration with Madison Cunningham on “Evangeline” is a heart-wrenching meditation on apologies left unsaid and love that takes a wrong turn. The inherent irony of the song — expressing through the lyrics what was never shared in the relationship — pulls you in, and the soaring strings and drum beat elevate it further, mirroring the sharp regret of the “what ifs” that linger long after a connection is lost.
The titular track homes in on a key point of tension throughout the album: the gulf between what is said and what is felt, and how they are often at odds with each other. “The feelings you hide to put on a show,” Ehrlich sings, referring to a life of performance and the mask you wear when all eyes are on you. Whether we take this as a specific encapsulation of his life as a performing musician or a more general musing on the performances we all construct to keep up appearances — like making small talk when beneath the surface there are deeper, darker feelings waiting to be shared — the feeling it evokes is recognizable and intensely human. These lyrics are intermixed with lilting wind instruments, dynamic horns, soft drum beats, and staccato piano notes that hit on every word of the refrain, “Every morning, every night / The devastating weight of life / No stranger to the pain, I’ll take it off your mind.”
At the core of this album is the push and pull of what is expressed and what is left unsaid, and how the dichotomy of silence and speech both defines and undermines love. A glance at the album’s track list highlights this paradox, with titles like “Won’t You Speak Your Mind” and the titular track, “Small Talk,” being placed in opposition to the opener, “Silent Exchange.” These songs point to the thematic crux of the album: expression versus silence, vulnerability versus self-defense, and loving versus leaving.
With Small Talk, Whitney has created the perfect album for colder days and darker nights, when, standing outside, you feel the sharp edge of winter through your coat but know that somewhere, there is warmth waiting.
Whitney will be on tour in Europe and North America this spring.
