Dartmouth duo Smaller Hearts’ latest release, Attention, is a pop triumph. Bringing together the talents of Kristina Parlee and Ron Bates, Smaller Hearts tips their hat to the past of synth-pop, but with an eye firmly set on the future.
Mostly recorded at home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with the addition of some vocals recorded a bit closer to nature, Attention sees Smaller Hearts clearly inventing some time in the studio. This is a polished album, with solid arrangements. The songs are dynamic and pull the listener in.
The album’s central themes all seem to form up around the single, “Even Ifs.” It examines our perception of the world around us, and how it is shaped, for better or worse, by the things we pay attention to. The songwriting is front and center here, there is no hiding behind the technology. The vocals are present and quite lovely from both Parlee and Bates. The synthesizer programming is creative and fun but never takes away from the song.
“There’s something wistful about being lucky enough to make music during difficult times, and that comes through lyrically and sonically here,” explains the duo. “Early versions emphasized the more rhythmic bass and drums parts, but then we flipped the emphasis toward the more washy synth ambiance that, until then, had been way in the background. Somehow, that clicked into the song’s mood better, so we left it that way: an upbeat song that flaunts its most downbeat parts.”
On the song “Better Questions,” we start with a plucky, happy synth riff that underscores the rest of the song, while the chords are handled by a slow fading pad which underscores the vocal performance very nicely. Rhythmically, the songs keep a pulse, but they aren’t pounding dance club fodder.
“Meteors” treats us to an 8-bit soundscape that wonderfully supports Bates’ thoughtful vocal delivery. When Parlee joins, it lifts the song from a contemplative night of stargazing to the kind of optimistic moment that comes when you are with just the right person at just the right time.
Lead single “Double Space” pushes back against the potential melancholy of self-reflection and embraces positivity and possibility.
“We love sad songs, and that usually shows in our songwriting, but something about the long, weird summer of 2020 made us want to try our hand at being a bit more optimistic,” says Bates and Parlee. “These times can be scary and strange, but when a hopeful thought entered our minds, we thought we’d try to run with it. Maybe we needed a break from our own pessimism.”
The track “Lines” kicks in with a killer bassline and a skittering beat. As soon as the vocal arrives, it ties the track together into a very fun song with great imagery. A song about coming together, that delivers that message both vocally and musically.
It’s not hard to imagine the band quietly taking the stage in a darkened club, with an audience full of the cooler than cool sunglasses at night types. As the first notes of “Even Ifs” come through the speakers, all conversation stops, martinis are forgotten and, as one, the gathered masses move towards the stage, beckoned by the distortion-laden organ tones and wistful vocals. Not the average night at the local watering hole.
Attention is an album that bears repeat listening, and I am looking forward to revisiting the plentiful back catalog of Smaller Hearts for all the auditory treats to be had.