Ever thought what would happen if a band replaced all their guitars with stringed instruments? I know of two bands that do it that I love and they do it very, very differently. Completions, also a one man band, does it in an introspective manner and their album is a minor masterpiece I stumbled across at the end of last year.
“The Calls Were Coming From Inside the House” opens with plucked string arrangements providing the main melody and with a double bass they create a rubbery and soft texture to then build the track upon. Drums and violin are added too along with some minimal keyboard work in places and throughout the vocals are layered to give a duality to them. It means that the album as a whole has this close up to the instruments feel to it and you can hear the instruments creak – I love it. The track itself is lush and follows onto possibly my favourite track on the album “I Don’t Call”. It’s got such a beautiful hook for the verses and the chorus highlights one of many great lyrical observations. “I don’t know why we turn to work or drugs or worry to find the glittered remains of parents passing” – the track is clearly speaking about different addictions to replace the real deep seated desire for being loved and these kinds of social thoughts are a large portion of the excellently penned lyrics.
“Word Balloons” places the instruments up so close to the speaker they distort slightly but it all adds to the oppressive effect. Even though the track is quite content playing in an airy high octave, the militant drums and subject matter ground it beautifully. On speaking about death and the uselessness of trying to support others in the immediate crisis “One Quiet Down” is tentative and understated. Through the darkness though there is a message of hope and the tuned percussion almost becomes a character in the album to represent hope and wonder. It’s used sparingly in many songs but is always used around some of the positive messages. A nice touch. “Combs” changes the pace to a more band like effort with meaty drums and quick riffs. It also mixes in some lovely piano and vocal effects before a lovely cover of “A Case Of You” that sounds like it was recorded on a tape recorder follows. The album closes off with the title track and speaks of the things in life that aren’t complete at all. It’s a quiet jam but it has a deep rhythm to it without smashing any percussion at all.
As you can tell, I am a big fan of this album. It’s an undiscovered gem and you can take any song and hum the riffs whilst lamenting on almost any lyric individually and have something profound pop into your head. That’s music that deserves attention.
Recommended track: I Don’t Call