“Stay”
from the album Small Sins
2006
iTunes
There seem to be lots of fairytales of late of one-man bands taking their bedroom demos to a whole new level, adding a full band and record label to their already well crafted songs. Canada’s Small Sins could be one of those bands.
Thomas D’Arcy named his band Small Sins after his old band’s record title. The songs on Small Sins’ debut self-titled release are a collection of songs recorded by D’Arcy, who wrote the songs, played all the instruments, and sang. The addition of a band has made things “fun” for D’Arcy, as he says a dozen times in the band’s MySpace bio.
As for the music, you could compare Small Sins to Death Cab for Cutie. Sensitive acoustic guitars and ultra-emo vocals a la Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard describe Small Sin’s music in a pinch. The lyrics are uber love letter quality (or hate letter depending on your interpretation). “You can stay if you want to,” sings D’Arcy on “Stay” in a chorus of harmonized voices, “but you can’t sleep in my bed.”
On “She’s the Source,” D’Arcy splashes on guitar country slides and thickens the Death Cab vibe. D’Arcy introduces us with more detail to the girl who broke his heart. “That little junkie girl/ You’re playing right into her hand you know.” On “Small Sins Big Within,” the keyboard effects are at large, and give more of a Postal Service effect. Nothing but keyboards and drums lace this track as D’Arcy convinces himself that his love is dead.
The final track, “Threw It All Away,” is more brooding lyrics and sadness. D’Arcy sings the true words of a musician; “All of my friends have no direction/ They’ve stopped dreaming of more.” I don’t think D’Arcy has thrown it all away as he says, though his emo soul has told him so. Small Sins, signed to Astralwerks (along with many a band that they’d fit too well with as an opening act) are well on their way to something big.
Another bedroom demo fairy tale realized.