The
immediate draw to Simplicity
Complex on the submission of
their demos was their appealing
image and sense of fun. There is
a sense of honesty about natural
band photos rather than the over
used and staged moody rock god
style pics.
Simplicity
Complex live up to their image as
young, vibrant and unusual which
is reflected in their music and
demos.
The five
members are all accomplished
musicians with varied
backgrounds. James has been
playing guitar since he was eight
years old. He began with a
classical style and now has
strong influences in folk, rock,
funk, blues and world.
Daniel on
guitar is also influenced by
classical and world music. As a
late starter to music he picked
up his first guitar at the age of
nineteen and as he states has
‘music in his veins’
Lara,
flautist, pianist and harmony
vocals has a strong musical
pedigree having previously been
involved with music
clubs, productions, orchestras,
bands and concerts. Before
simplicity complex she performed
in an acapella (vocalist) band
called contrast. She is a
relatively new band member of
simplicity complex and provides
creativity and add libs.
Tom
on bass has played with a 4 piece
experimental band, 'The Cloud
Quartet', at the Edinburgh Fringe
festival receiving a five star
review. Not only a musician but
also a budding arts performer
which no doubt helps with stage
presence and confidence.
Lee
on dums and precussion has an
experimental attitude to music
and likes to play different
instruments on every track. Lee
returned to music after taking
some time out to run a business,
get married and have kids! He has
built his own recording studio to
the benefit of the band. His
ambition is to play at big
festival with Simplicity Complex
preferably Glastonbury or
Reading.
The
experience, expertise and
diversity within the band members
appears to be a match made in
heaven. The question of course is
whether this translates to their
music? The answer to this is both
yes and no!
Smooth
Obsession
Smooth
Obsession is a strong track which
clearly outlines their individual
influences. This reminded me of a
slight J.J. Cale influence with a
terrific rhythm and tempo that is
both calmly melodic whilst at the
same time upbeat. The styles gel
perfectly to form a track that
ticks all the right boxes and has
caught the imagination of
visitors to the site who have
consistently voted for it within
our top 10 chart. The recording
studio provided by Lee certainly
pays dividends with a crisp and
clear recording. The demo would
certainly play comfortably at
many music event and certainly
has a 'festival feel' about it.
Upside
Out
On listening to
'Upside Out', some doubts start
to creep in. I wondered for a
moment if I was listening to
Smooth Obsession again but at a
lower tempo. It just failed to
hold my attention with over
cooked chord sequences and what I
felt was a shallow track which
held little depth. This is a
little strange given that
Simplicity Complex is a 5 piece
band with diversity and
individual talent. I was trying
hard to find the sparkle of the
various members, particulalry the
promised creativity and ad libs
from Lara, but it just didn't
happen.
I got frustrated
with this demo as I really
believe that they could do much
much more. To hold interest I
want complexity of rhythm, some
intricate solos and instruments
bouncing off each other. It
remained unfortunately flat.
Whenever
I get a downer on a demo I have a
bad habit of searching for lyrics
to reflect my feelings. Upside
Out provided it perfectly. 'Slip
away, Slip away until tomorrow,
slip away' The
final nail in the cofin for this
demo was the awful guitar strum
and progresion that provided the
only change in tempo. This is
fairly basic stuff and certainly
not for my living room.
Menale
With a hope that
Menale would save the day, I was
pleased that it did go some way
in recovering the situation but
only just. On the negative I
imagined mysef at some tapas bar
with some annoying pipe music
coming through the system.
Playing live, the band would
probably get away with it. On the
positive, it does reflect the
willingness of Simplicity Complex
to step outside the mould and
experiment with styles and
instruments. Having said that I
have yet to hear the flute?
I am sure
Menale would work well sitting in
a field having a jam session.
Unfortunately, this is not how
most people receive their music,
hence the appeal will be limited.
I find it hard not
to warm to this act on a personal
level. They are no doubt having
significant fun and playing at a
level that is well received.
I am however left
with a feeling that it could all
be so much better. Individual
members need to break through
with their own identities and
styles providing more depth and
interest.
The band at this
time feels too experimental to be
credible and my perception is
that there is an over-reliance on
the sense of improvisation. This
of course may be wrong but it is
an honest perception.
They also missed a
few tricks with their press pack.
A wealth of information was
provided with respect to their
personal details, but nothing
with respect to the demos that
were being reviewed! In press
packs, Acts need to put their
demos into context. When and how
was the demo conceived? Whats the
story? Who wrote it? What were
the influences? All this helps to
understand where a band is coming
from. If you miss the
opportunity, reviewers will fill
the gaps with their own
interpretations. I stress it so
many times, managing your press
packs and information is as
important as the demos.
Simplicity Complex
do have potential although there
is a long way to go before they
realise it. The music feels as if
it is one dimensional and needs
to develop and become more full
bodied. Whether they have the
time and commitment to do this
will remain to be seen. I have no
doubt that they have the talent
if they push their limits and be
brave.
Remember,
all reviews represent just one
opinion or perception. Opinions
and perceptions are never right
or wrong. Others will have
differing views. Acts should use
reviews in a balanced way,
reflecting on both the positives
and negatives and deciding what
to do with each.
Receiving
only positive comments is
unhelpful as there is always room
for improvement and critical
comments should be received with
an open mind and considered.
