Balance and Composure is one of the brightest young stars of the music scene right now, and it's not hard to see why. Their unique brand of emotional alt-rock is one that exuded a dark brooding nature the likes of which no ones ever heard. Comparisons to the brooding tunes of Nirvana and Brand New's The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me are a stretch, and ultimately fall short in describing just how special Balance and Composure really are. We've already covered the band once on the Keep Calm and Carry On blog, but we can never get enough of the Doylestown, PA natives. So, in the same style as my Moving Mountains "New Light EP", I decided to review Balance's new "Acoustic EP." The EP features three rendition of tracks from Separation done in acoustic form.
"Separation" is the title track off the band's 2011 debut full-length. The original track is probably one of the most upbeat tracks on "Separation," and while the acoustic track turns down the intensity a tiny bit, it is still rather fast-moving. While I described the music itself as upbeat, I shouldn't make the mistake of putting the same distinction on the lyrics. Lyricist and vocalist Jonathan Simmons was most certainly not in a happy place in life when this song was written. "Where's the passion, diminished it lays it the past. And I distracted, it's taken me this long to grasp," he writes in the first verse. This song isn't exactly a summer soundtrack addition, but ultimately it's Balance and Composure nearly at their best. The introspective and gloomy lyrics and the harmonies in this song make the acoustic rendition worth it.
The tempo is then slowed a bit with the almost waltzy "Stonehands." When the acoustic EP was announced, I immediately said "I hope 'Stonehands' will be one of the tracks selected." The version of the song on Separation would transition well to being acoustic, as far as I was concerned. And I wasn't disappointed. This was definitely the best of the three acoustic renditions recorded. The track is one of the staples of the band's live set, and it's no surprise. Though the lyrics are simple and borderline repetitive, the swing of the guitar and Simmons voice blend together perfectly to produce a near-perfect result.
The final track on the EP is "More To Me". Although the original track is not among my favorites from Separation,the song features one the best moments of the entire album, the guttural scream that Simmons gives in the line, "Keep it inside, and swallow whatever it is that keeps you warm." The scream is heart-wrenching and its absence from the acoustic rendition definitely hurts the song. The emptiness of just the one acoustic guitar definitely helps to bring out some of the songs darker lyrical themes though. And I'm glad that the band didn't try to add in drum flourishes because it may have hurt that feeling.
Bottom Line: Balance and Composure. Acoustic. You know you want to get it. I already made the sale.
Recommended if you rock: Campfires, sad songs, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," this
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