The British Museum is the debut album from experimental pop act Small Black Arrows, and it’s set to take the world by storm.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Small Black Arrows
Small Black Arrows are actor and screenwriter Luke Bailey (Waterloo Road) and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Hanley. We’re becoming big supporters of the relative newcomers on these pages. Jane first featured them for us as part of her Soul-Rock round up in April, and followed that up with an interview. We’re not the only fans. Eagle-eyed viewers of the Netflix show Sex Education may have noticed the character of Maeve Wiley sporting one of their t-shirts.
Now I get a chance to share some of their music thanks to the release of their debut album, The British Museum. A truly innovative collection, interspersed among the songs are “exhibits,” or short auditory vignettes featuring the voices of actors Ella Peel, Wim Snape, and Dean Smith.
After Exhibit A, our first taste of the Small Black Arrows sound comes from Machinations. It’s a soft and soulful indie pop-rock number overflowing with atmosphere. A looping melody stays with you while delicate vocals bring the emotion. Lyrically, it introduces the theme that runs right through the album – what it means to be human in a world that’s increasingly overrun with smarter and more invasive technology.
Voices In The Static take things in a darker direction with its slow, introspective arrangement. Exhibit B then broadens the story with a tongue-in-cheek take on the traditional British pub before The Wave rounds off the album’s early listening with a lingering acoustic moment.
From there we are treated to music that ranges from the intimate and personal to the expansive and political. Trojan Horse is a highlight with its bass groove and soaring crescendos. As is Pathway to Contrition thanks to its uncompromising meditation on racism and divisiveness. Title track and album closer The British Museum cements the album’s sentiments in a defiant manifesto that pushes musical boundaries.
If you haven’t heard the name Small Black Arrows before now, get used to seeing it everywhere. The duo have created the kind of debut that will get them noticed. It’s a masterclass of thinking outside the box while keeping things accessible. It’s in the running for album of the year for me.
The British Museum was produced by Small Black Arrows and Seadna McPhail at Airtight Studios, Manchester. It was mastered by Pete Maher. The album is out now on digital platforms, vinyl and CD, and you can check it out below.
