First a word of advice to these young fellas – please learn about half-rhyme! One of the few drawbacks to this nice and neat four-song EP is all the direct rhyme. While the convincing vocal performances go a long way towards distracting us from a mess of words that basically share all the same letters save for one each time around, remember that U2 barely gets away with rhyming fire and desire, so I’m just saying. Other than this complaint, though, there is a lot to like here. Balance and Composure reminds me of a less ambient Circa Survive. The songs seem to be meticulously constructed, which is good, because there isn’t a ton of musical talent, just some appealing ideas and solid execution. I also hear a lot of Thursday’s softer moments and some of Sunny Day Real Estate’s grandeur.
The band – for being so young – have a good sense of how to build songs in this spacey-emo genre where atmospherics and conviction are everything. The EP itself also seems to build well, starting with the simplest song and ending with the epic and uplifting “What’s Wrong with Everything.” A very nice record and worth your money if you like the older emo sound without all the catchy choruses depicting ways to cut out your heart. Balance and Composure exude a maturity here (though not necessarily in the lyrics) that bands twice their age still don’t have and it’s encouraging. A little work on the lyrics and some more ambitious musical passages and these kids will find themselves awash in fans.
Label: No Sleep
