For a song about emotional chaos, Bam Rigby’s “Complicated” is surprisingly steady. Its warm instrumentation and easygoing indie-rock groove create an almost comforting backdrop for lyrics about frustration, distance, and repeatedly finding yourself in the same place.
The track sits between folky indie rock and pop, with a distinctly 70s-inspired warmth. Live instrumentation, layered harmonies, and vintage analog equipment give the production a natural, lived-in quality, while Rigby’s raw vocals keep the emotional center of the song exposed. There’s something deliberately unpolished about it, but never unfinished. That contrast is what makes “Complicated” work. The music feels relaxed; the relationship at its center is anything but that!
“Why are you complicated? / Gotta complicate it all” captures the immediate frustration, but the song gradually reveals something more complicated underneath. “It’s always something / But I keep coming back for more” shifts the focus from blaming the other person to recognizing the cycle itself. There’s a certain honesty in admitting that sometimes familiarity can be easier to hold onto than the uncertainty of leaving.
Rigby has described the song as being inspired by a relationship where even the smallest things became difficult, yet staying felt easier than starting over. That sentiment comes through in the repetition of the lyrics, which mirrors the circular nature of the relationship. Even “I drown in you / I was never really good at swimming” keeps the writing direct and relatable rather than overly dramatic.
The analog production adds another layer to that familiarity. Rather than simply functioning as a nostalgic aesthetic, the warmth of the recording makes the track feel almost like a memory being replayed: comfortable, recognizable, and perhaps not entirely healthy.
As the second single from his upcoming debut album Sometimes I Forget to Breathe, “Complicated” gives us a glimpse into an artist finding a balance between contemporary indie pop and older sonic textures. Its steady rhythm, warm production, and restless lyrics make for an interesting contradiction: a song about being caught in a loop that never feels musically stuck; and maybe that’s where Bam Rigby’s “Complicated” finds its charm: turning a familiar emotional mess into something warm enough to comfortably stay with us for a while..
