Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and the Hallmark gods are working overtime to prepare another tawdry spectacle. Another rose bouquet apocalypse. Another heart-shaped chocolate box and teddy bear dystopia. Another last-minute Valentine’s card and mylar balloon landfill nightmare. What was intended as a celebration of love in its many forms has dissolved into consumerist dreck. But you already know this. Capitalism’s excesses are many, after all—and oh so very persistent.

Still, I’m a man who can appreciate a proper silver lining. In this case it takes the form of a scathing new two-song single from SMALL. The Atlanta trio have become something of a local institution, churning out scrappy punk rippers heavy on snarky wit and sneering attitude. For this particular premiere, however, I’d like to shine a spotlight on their ongoing affinity for releasing music on—you guessed it!—Valentine’s Day.

In fact, “Girls U Didn’t Want” marks the third year in a row that SMALL will unveil a new single on Feb. 14. Starting with 2024’s bracing “Ten Gallon Headache” and continuing with last year’s fiery “Surveillance!”, the band has managed to inoculate listeners against the perils of plastic romance with songs that center the isolating pain and dread of modern life.

That tradition continues on this latest offering, which finds vocalist/guitarist Samantha Severin sounding more wounded and vexed than ever. Over a lurching groove, she outlines a dysfunctional relationship teetering on the brink. As the track progresses, any glimmers of genuine affection become corroded by doubt, shame, and fear. It all comes to a head on the snarling chorus, which sees the narrator on the verge of breaking down. “I’m so tired, I’m alright / I’m so scared I’m gonna die,” Severin sings, her voice cracking with despair and distress. If you’ve ever felt the terror of love fraying at the seams, seesawing between emotional extremes, this one may sting.

Meanwhile, “John Lennon” is a study in coiled intensity. Anchored by drummer Trevor Flanders (Newt Ezrel, ex-Twin Criminal) and bassist Bratt, the track marches along with a kind of smirking glee. On the surface it’s bouncy and loose, but underneath there’s mounting tension. That knife-in-the-back-pocket approach lends the music an ominous air—one that’s fitting, I suppose, for a song named after the most problematic Beatle. In turn, Severin rides the murky vibes to paint a stark portrait of a troubled couple with an apparent perception problem: “All our friends think we’re sweet, and you’re a loser like me.”

If there’s a through line running through these songs, it’s that love is messy, painful, and difficult. It fails more often than it succeeds. And no amount of corporatized Valentine’s Day propaganda can obscure that sobering truth. But that’s not the same thing as saying love should be avoided or abandoned. Instead, let SMALL’s latest serve as a warning: approach with caution and with your eyes—and heart—wide open.

Listen below.

“Girls U Didn’t Want” b/w “John Lennon” is out tomorrow, Feb. 14.

SMALL will celebrate the release of “Girls U Didn’t Want” b/w “John Lennon” this Sat., Feb. 14 at the EARL alongside Janie Danger, Possums, and Georgie Harris. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15 or $17 DOS. 21+ to enter.

More Info
Bandcamp: smalltheband.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @smalltheband