The Complaints latest album Chasing Light is a wedge of tempting rock and roll music. Tight, the Rhode Island trio pushes the listener through 8 solid, catchy tunes that make one want to party while they impress you with their talent.
Title track “Chasing Light” gets a pushy groove from Anthony Marotti’s numerous, well placed drum fills as well as Chris Cruz’s tight, compact low end line, a line snapped firmly into place within the drum work. Lead singer and guitarist Dean Petrella carries us through his songcraft with his flowing, soulful rasp and his fun, fuzzy chords and his bright emotive lead work.
“The Bottom” moves assertively forward with an edgy guitar riding the surface. Petrella pays out the six string progression until it cries out its message, phrasing with plaintive sorrow. His born to rock vocal rasp unfurls the lyrical progression with a deep sense of cool. An undeniable bass line puts another layer of muscle inside this expressive number. Sensitive drumming finds just the right groove speed to keep this piece in a lofty motion.
The light touch approach makes “Let Heaven Fall” feel every forlorn emotion possible. Loss, longing, mourning, perfectly summed by Petrella’s weepy lead guitar phrase, a phase that shadows a sorrowful vocal, doubling the tenderness while the rhythm section keeps it moving in a sensitive pace. It’s uncanny how well the rhythm section adjusts to the emotive grist of the upper registers. They don’t just anchor it, they also make us feel it.
“That’s What You Get” dances into our consciousness with a jazzy, catchy groove and a sweet whisper of a lead guitar line. Petrella is at his most rock and roll ease in this mellow, mid-tempo piece. His down to earth vocal delivery and his swaggering cool blend in perfectly with the prancing guitar and rhythmic pull. One can picture these guys playing this song in black leather jackets with an abundance of confident cool.
“Looking For Liars” takes a morose emotion and turns it into something positive by at least recognizing the truth of a bad situation. The boys prepare this one without a recipe. They just toss in enough plaintive cry in the vocals and just enough loosely spaced electric guitar, a take your time bass line, and an easy going fall of drum fills. This could be a slow dance song during a live show but it is so seriously delivered it’s difficult which aspect of the song fans will key into.
It is amazing how well The Complaints can set a mood in their songs. “The Ocean” gets it lift from Petrella’s gentle acoustic guitar strum, a line that includes an interval of more accented notes, notes carry a lot of depth. Adding a keyboard line to this natural acoustic line, the band weaves a moody vibe that hints at deeper emotions. As the song moves on, the feeling can only grow. Petrella’s vocal fills in the mood with a sweep of forlorn loss. It’s impossible not to get pulled into the high tide of reflection and tenderness going on here.
“Can’t Kill A Killer” is a gang buster song. The dancing drum fills and nudging bass line make one move one’s feet. Over that intriguing rhythm Petrella unleashes his mighty rock and roll guitar line, a phrase that meshes lead and rhythm into one strong personality on the six string. It’s gritty and fetching at once, loaded with dark tones, and a feisty attitude.
Close out track is an instrumental arrangement of “Let Heaven Fall.” Here, the guitar and piano notes fall like a soft, gentle rain, surrounding the soundscape with a tender drizzle. Petrella’s lead guitar phrase cuts through the moody atmosphere with a pleasant sound that allures with its sensitivity while tying the entire song together with color and tone.
The Complaints only get better, grittier, more skillful with each release. On this Chasing Light album, produced by the band at The Shop in Cranston,this Rhode Island band kicks butt on its own terms. They exhibit a solid songcraft behind each of their cuts. They draw clever blueprints for songs then they flesh them out with talent and attitude
