Even if he accomplishes nothing else for the rest of his musical career with Toronto indie-pop outfit Small Sins, Thomas D’arcy can go to his grave confident in the fact that he’s written the first truly great pop song about e-mail, “Drunk e-mails.” This is far from a minor achievement considering how long e-mail’s been a key communication medium long distance relationships and its irrefutable usefulness as a weapon in passive-aggressive relationship combat.

A squirrelly repetitive electro-pop gem, “Drunk e-mails’” beat is pinned down by a cheapy sounding synthetic bass and drum machine as D’arcy’s flamboyantly theatrical vocals (frequently double and triple-tracked for added oomph) attempt to make sense of relationship communication breakdown in the information age (“When I send you drunk e-mail /And you send me no reply/ Where is the love you feel?/That you give me in the daytime”).  Throw in some sporadic hand claps and precisely placed backing oohs and ahhs and you’ve got the recipe for a song that will be blasting out of frustrated would be lovers PC speakers for decades to come.

Listen to "Drunk e-mails" from Mood Swings 

It’s not the only high point on Small Sins recently released sophomore outing, Mood Swings. Although still largely consisting solely of D’arcy in the recording studio, Mood Swings bares the lessons D’arcy’s learned from extensive time on the road with a full band in support of Small Sins’ debut. It’s less overtly electro in sound and scope, with tunes like the lackadaisically funky “On the Run” and falsetto piano pomp of “What Your Baby’s Been Doing” sounding more indebted to ’70s Bowie-styled glam than, say, Depeche Mode. The sporadic inclusion of folksy instrumental touches like banjo on the funereal dirge “Morning Face” also show D’arcy’s commit to contort his electro-pop visions into new formations. That’s not to say that Small Sins still can’t work wonders when riding a minimalist electro-groove, one listen to the lithe and taut “It Keeps Me On My Toes” proves they’ve still got plenty of panache when working in that area.

While some of the lesser cuts on the 13-track albums second half (“Airport,” “On A Mission”) drag a bit, their skeletal structures not pinned on strong enough melodies to make a favorable impression, D’arcy manages to finish strong. The one-two closing punch of chilled out lounge pop cocktail “Holiday” and acoustic guitar led orchestral ballad “Bullet” hint that the increasing diversity showcased on Mood Swings is just the beginning of even more varied musical adventures to come.