Real People

On their second full-length, 2013's Limits of Desire, Small Black took another step away from the murkily lo-fi chillwave they started their career with, opting for a slick and glossy sound that owed a great deal to the mainstream-y synth pop of the '80s. The Real People EP that followed in early 2014 moved away the midtempo, super-clean heartbreak pop that made up the bulk of Desire and instead made a leap for the dancefloor. There were a few tracks on Desire that nodded toward propulsive movements of hips and feet, but here the bandmembers make it clear right away that they are interested in moving bodies as opposed to tugging heartstrings. The soaring, chugging title track that kicks off the EP is instantly danceable, with the keys, lead and backing vocals (provided by Frankie Rose), and drums working together to make the song into something that would play very well on a percolating dancefloor. Of course, the second song, the introspective ballad "Lines of Latitude," brings the moo