Band of the Week 3/26: Balance And Composure

Who they are: Balance and Composure is a moody, alternative rock group from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The five-piece outfit features 3 guitarists, a feature that allows them to explode forth from speakers with a venerable onslaught of powerful chords, emotive vocals and dynamic tones. Balance and Composure is talented and creative enough to be the next Brand New. And just like Brand New, the band has its share of defining lyrical moments. A fan of the genre has not lived until they are shouting “I tore you apart in my head/ locked up in my room again,” at the top of their lungs. Friends of the band have also said that the band has created their own genre, which can be described in one word: “sad”.

Why they are Band of the Week: Aside from releasing one of the top 10 records of last year in Seperation (actually coming in at #5 on Keep Calm and Carry On’s albums of the year list), the band is also having a very busy Spring. They are main support on La Dispute’s Spring 2012 headlining tour, which also features Sainthood Reps and All Get Out. The tour kicked off Saturday in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It rolls through Philadelphia on April 28, with a show at the Union Transfer. They’re also releasing an acoustic 7-inch on April 24 which features acoustic renditions of three of the songs from Seperation: “Seperation”, “Stonehands”, and “More to Me” (you can find the album artwork for this release at the top of this post).

What you need to hear: The standout track from their critically praised debut Seperation is easily “I Tore You Apart in My Head”. The ultimate display of the fury and power of vocalist Jon Simmons and the best angry sing-along song of 2011: “I tore you apart in my head locked up in my room again / Fuck what you told me, it all leads to smoking / alone in my room in the end.”