“Small Talk”, the new Whitney album, is like a ray of sunshine that surprises you at the end of winter. A bright and relaxed pop album, built on soft and delicate colours, which confirms the coherence of a band always faithful to its own measure.
The Chicago duo continues to cultivate a precise and controlled sound, which does not seek spectacular effects but balance. The songs move between emotional details and everyday observations, exploring relationships and feelings without indulging in melodrama.
Songs like Dandelions or Back to the Wind they talk about fragility with clear writing and essential melodies. “Back to the wind, I feel so strong. No reflection in the glass, babe, I'm gone” is one of the most powerful images on the album: a farewell that has no nostalgia, but a sense of physical and mental liberation. In Evangelinefeaturing Madison Cunningham, the band seems to flirt with atmospheres that oscillate between country and epic adult rock.
Musically, “Small Talk” moves lightly in the space of modern yacht rock, a retro taste between Eagles, Steely Dance and Kings of Convenience, all with strings, horns and clean guitars that intertwine naturally, supporting the lyrics without ever overpowering them. Recorded independently in an Oregon barn, the album reflects a full but controlled freedom, a sonic craftsmanship that lets every element breathe.
In just over half an hour, Whitney builds a small space of quiet: an intimate conversation that warms the heart and soul with simplicity.
SCORE: 7.25
TO LISTEN NOW
Won't You Speak Your Mind – Back To The Wind – Small Talk
TO BE SKIPPED IMMEDIATELY
Nothing even if after the third or fourth listen something starts to get boring!
TRACKLIST
Silent Exchange
Won't You Speak Your Mind
The Thread
Damage
Dandelions
Islands (Really Something)
In the Saddle
Evangeline (feat. Madison Cunningham)
Back to the Wind
SmallTalk
Darling
THE DISCOGRAPHY
2016 – Light Upon the Lake
2019 – Forever Turned Around
2020 – Candid
2022 – Spark
2025 – Small Talk
