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· Conor Welsch
Small Talk arrives with the familiarity of a soft greeting. Whitney have always lived in the space between folk warmth and soulful indie reflection, and on this new album they return to that space with a renewed sense of calm. Formed in Chicago by drummer and vocalist Julien Ehrlich and guitarist Max Kakacek, the band carry a history that shapes every note. Ehrlich previously played in Unknown Mortal Orchestra, a detail that long-time fans of that group may hear in Whitney’s blend of looseness, subtle groove, and emotional clarity. Many listeners still discover Whitney through their breakout single No Woman from their 2016 debut, a song that set the tone for the tenderness and hush that would define their sound. Small Talk feels like a natural continuation of that lineage.
Across eleven tracks, Small Talk moves with gentle confidence. The album includes songs like Silent Exchange, Won’t You Speak Your Mind, Damage, Dandelions, In the Saddle, Evangeline featuring Madison Cunningham, Back to the Wind, Small Talk, and Darling. It runs just over thirty-six minutes and settles into itself right from the opening notes.
Silent Exchange sets the tone with soft piano and tender vocals. Won’t You Speak Your Mind adds a quiet groove built around understated arrangements. Dandelions and Damage lean into wistfulness, blending vulnerability with melodic ease. Evangeline introduces a beautiful duet that expands the album’s emotional horizon without disrupting its calm pacing.
The closing track, Darling, offers peaceful resolution. It feels like the natural end to a conversation that began in honest reflection.
Ehrlich’s delicate falsetto and Kakacek’s warm guitar work remain the guiding forces behind the band’s sound. Their chemistry is effortless. After exploring different directions on past records, Whitney return here to the style that first brought them attention, combining folk, soft rock, and quiet soul into something soothing and fully their own.
Knowing Ehrlich’s background with Unknown Mortal Orchestra adds another layer to the listening experience. You can hear the influence in the rhythmic looseness, the soft edges, and the understated risk-taking that shape the album. Nothing here is overstated. Everything feels sincere.
Silent Exchange rewards careful, quiet listening and sets the emotional frame of the record.
Evangeline builds gently with layered harmonies that sound especially rich on vinyl.
Small Talk carries some of the album’s strongest lyrical writing.
Darling closes with calm stillness, the kind that lingers in the room after the needle lifts.
This is a vinyl-friendly album. Warm production, restrained instrumentation, and soft dynamics make it perfect for a full-side listen without distractions.
Small Talk is not a reinvention. It is a refinement. Whitney stay true to what first drew listeners in while adding a sense of maturity earned over years of touring, change, and growth. The album’s strength lies in its simplicity and emotional clarity. It is a record that feels honest, thoughtful, and lived in.
Whitney remain one of the most reliable voices in modern indie folk. With their Chicago foundation, their connection to bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and a catalog built on quiet emotional resonance, they continue to shape a warm and recognizable lane in the genre. If they keep building on the depth shown here, they have the potential to become one of the defining American indie acts of the next decade.
Best Spins: Silent Exchange, Evangeline, Darling
For Fans Of: Big Thief, Fleet Foxes, Kevin Morby, The War on Drugs
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