Search - Complicated Shirt :: Compromising Compositions

Complicated Shirt is set to release their second CD, and their first for both the Alone and NFI imprints: Compromising Compositions. The album is the follow up to 2004's debut, Strigine, which garnered wide critical acclaim, including the praises of music critic Chuck Eddy (Village Voice) and Canadian music magazine Exclaim!, as well as airplay across the United States. What has excited critics and fans alike is the band's ability to counterbalance explosiveness with complexity: on the one hand, there's the bombastic clatter of Jonathan Pellerin's drumming and Drew Benton's distorted guitar; and on the other hand, the music has wonderfully complex rhythms, moments of flamenco-style guitar phrasing and lots of high-wire verbal acrobatics. The sound is equal parts swagger and strut, and self-effacing introspection; and the combination results in music you want to sing along with, dance to and quote. AN EXPANDED PALETTE With their new album, Compromising Compositions, primarily recorded by the band's drummer, Jonathan Pellerin, Complicated Shirt expand their palette to include woodwinds, brass, cello and violin. Benton's acerbic lyrics burn through the sublime instrumentation throughout, and though the band has ratcheted up the complexity of their songs, the delivery is no less powerful. Additional tracking was done by Marc Fuller (Kanye West, Sparklehorse), who also assisted with mixing and mastering.