Smallspace, "No Matter" (Speedywagon Records)
There has been an onslaught of bands recently that bend, mix and stray from typical music genres, making it difficult to place them or even describe their sound - and Smallspace is one of those bands.
The five-member group from Grand Rapids blends spacey, ethereal electronic music with pop-rock vocals. "No Matter," its first full-length album, begins with "Loose Ends," a track that clearly tells the listener who its biggest influence is - Radiohead. Despite the obvious impact Radiohead has on its music, Smallspace is not just another imitator. The tracks that follow incorporate more drums, some trumpet and plenty of keyboard, with haunting rock vocals creating a pleasing, innovative sound.
Without realizing Smallspace is a local band, one could easily assume they're a nationally touring act on the verge of hitting it big. Tracks two and three could easily become singles on an alternative or indie rock radio station.
"Right Here" and "For Days" both have rock vocals with catchy lyrics next to mesmerizing electronic and drum beats. "You've been laying around for days/And I'll walk in the streets to find a way home from the blue glow," Jon Faber (vocals and guitar) sings loudly in "For Days."
Track two, "Right Here," has quieter, drawn-out vocals, but has a similar repetitive lyrical effect as he reiterates "You talk too much/Too much ... I'll bring you back right here/Right here" throughout the track. The song is reminiscent of the band Clinic's sound, another one of Smallspace's obvious influences.
The album sounds professionally produced, not like it was recorded at a hole-in-the-wall small studio in Grand Rapids called Dynamite Sound Project. Faber claims on their Web site that the band didn't even plan on becoming a band. He said the music was just an experiment - and it's a good thing they decided to continue with the experiment.
Smallspace knows how to use vocals in conjunction with the instruments, and is not overbearing or the focus of each song, but rather adds to the complexity of the music.
Vocals are the strongest in "Me In Berlin," but the music is still a dramatic part of the lyrics. Faber sings, "We are in your house/We are on your shelves again/I am afraid to say we don't know you in any way/So stuck in our place," while spacey keyboards and calm guitar rhythms play in the background. The second to last track, "When You're Out," strays from the other mellower tracks, bringing in experimental digital noises, almost drowning out the vocals, but not in a bad way.
Be on the lookout for Smallspace; chances are they'll soon be found on the radio or opening for a well-known band on a national tour. If Smallspace's debut album is any indication, their second album might be a masterpiece.
