Metronomy have been one of my favourite
bands of the last decade, and that’s reflected in the fact that Small
World is the fourth of their records to make my List since 2011. It’s
also probably their best work since Love Letters topped this
countdown back in 2014. There’s a mix of moods on show on Small World,
but it’s fairly clear that most of them have their roots in the experience of
the pandemic. The record begins with the mournful ‘Life and Death’, which is
full of existential angst (‘It was fun / What I did / Got a job / Had some kids
/ See you in the abyss’). But then this dour (albeit excellent) start quickly gives
way to radio-baiting earworm, ‘Things Will be Fine’, which – as its title
suggests – is uplifting lyrically as well as musically. We’re moving forward.
Next up is ‘It’s Good to be Back’, which is effectively about the miracle of
vaccination and the rebirth of live music, all set to a synth-dance groove that
will stay with you. Later on, ‘I Lost My Mind’ is a reflective acoustic
summation of life in lockdown, while (best on show) ‘Hold Me Tonight’ returns
us to the upswing. This is Metronomy’s most varied record musically
but also their most focused thematically. It doesn’t quite reach the heights
of The English Riviera or Love Letters for
me, but it isn’t all that far short.