Photo by Brian Hall.
Small Reactions play situational pop songs. Relying on the minimal instrumentation of guitar, bass, vintage organs, and drums, the quartet is equal parts new wave and post-punk, drone and surf.
Ultimately, however, genres are of little import. The band themselves prefer the term “nerve pop” to describe their music. The phrase comprises the frenetic energy of the late 70s new wavers and Bob Dylan’s shaky foot circa 1965. Sonically, they resemble equal parts “Chairs Missing”-period Wire and early Stereolab. Lyrically, they reside somewhere in the “new domestic” school.
Live shows, played to the absolute tipping point, express a sense of urgency, affectation, and a blur of electric noise. Songs refuse cadence naturally and the band will not stop moving.