Chillwave on ‘Chain’ full of reverb, relief

With the onset of the “chillwave” genre, we’ve been flooded with sounds of synthesizers and electric drums. Often times, it seems that when the reverb gets turned up, the bands slowly start to bleed into one another.

Small Black’s “New Chain” pierces the muddled mix and distinguishes itself as one of the echo’s source notes.

Besides the tired and semi-intellectual references to “nostalgic” or “dream-like” sound, “New Chain” succeeds through careful detail within its rolling resonance.

This type of heavily-reverberated music, like water coloring, has to work well as a mixture. Too many colors end up turning black just as too many noises can end obscured or appear unorganized.

On “New Chain,” the band pushes the envelope and knows when to seal it, too. Check out how subtlety grows into a grand noise on “Hydra” or how it all falls out just to burst open again on songs such as “Panthers”.

“New Chain” is certainly one of 2010’s most impressive and accessible albums, as well as its genre’s as a whole.