The Bay Area has never been short on pop-punk outfits, and if newcomers The Complicators have their way, the more coarse sounds of street punk, Oi! and hardcore should be just as noteworthy. On their first release, the band make good use of their 6 minutes with hard hitting, working class style punk.
Side A, “Wake Up”, is a gruff rocker with rumbling bass and punchy percussion, not unlike Rancid after a long night of listening to Leatherface and Warzone. It would fit in quite well with the NYHC scene from decades past, and is just as straight to the point. Side B offers “The Next One”, where strong guitar work and a more obvious punk presence make this one more on the melodic side of the spectrum, before the more throaty, aggressive, crushing drums of “I Will”.
It’s far from a complicated affair, and that’s ok with me as The Complicators bring to mind other Bay Area legends like Grimple or Econochrist. This is a great 7”, but I expect a future album to annihilate.
