Winnipeg noise rock outfit Tunic come out swinging with their debut album Complexion. While spanning only 22 minutes, it's a complex record with many emotional movements throughout. Tunic operate in spheres of polar opposition — indie rock production for a heavy band, while simultaneously being non-guitar-centric in a genre obsessed with the instrument. Tunic have carved out a unique sonic niche for themselves in a way that feels fresh in today's musical climate.
Complexion operates in a series of panic attacks. From the jangled movements of "Envious," "Evan" and "Frontal Lobe," to the calming qualities of "Sand" and "Paper," the album is a collection of broken harmonies. None of the guitar work, from a traditional standpoint, makes any sense whatsoever. Tunic's guitars are chaotic window dressing for the rhythm section that often carries any semblance of melody forward from one song to the next.
Tunic's Complexion is a marvellous record that, in theory, should be a disaster. Everything about the album's construction is opposite to heavy music's anatomy, but is pulled off effortlessly. By going against the grain, Tunic have created a surprisingly unique album in 2019's heavy music scene.
(Self-Sabotage)Complexion operates in a series of panic attacks. From the jangled movements of "Envious," "Evan" and "Frontal Lobe," to the calming qualities of "Sand" and "Paper," the album is a collection of broken harmonies. None of the guitar work, from a traditional standpoint, makes any sense whatsoever. Tunic's guitars are chaotic window dressing for the rhythm section that often carries any semblance of melody forward from one song to the next.
Tunic's Complexion is a marvellous record that, in theory, should be a disaster. Everything about the album's construction is opposite to heavy music's anatomy, but is pulled off effortlessly. By going against the grain, Tunic have created a surprisingly unique album in 2019's heavy music scene.
