Balance and Composure
The Things We Think We’re Missing
No Sleep Records (2013)
Score: 9/10
Normally when I see an upcoming album getting a bunch of positive attention, I pump the brakes on my anticipation. I just don’t want to be let down by something I’m looking forward to. There is nothing worse than an album that falls flat after much hype, and albums that sort of live up to our hopes aren’t remembered as well over time. But in the case of Balance and Composure’s second full-length The Things We Think We’re Missing, everyone everywhere is rightfully buzzing. (And exhaling happily.)
There is an undeniable darkness to the The Things We Think We’re Missing, an introspective, inescapable gloom around the tracks as a whole. Before I picked it up, I heard the band say that this is the sound they’d been striving for, and after one listen to “Reflection,” you can see why. It’s just so heavy, so dark, and so good. It’s a brooding, poetic song about dealing with problems and the struggle to be completely honest with yourself. “Parachute” and “Lost Your Name” are big time stand outs, especially the latter, with the chords and bass line working together perfectly, complemented by spacey guitar licks. Beginning ominously enough, “Back of Your Head” turns into a relatively fast-paced banger that begs for immediate repeat listens.
Balance and Composure needs to be a household name. Maybe we’ll never see them at the Superbowl halftime show but their tour with Coheed and Cambria is a great start. I’m happy to report that my concerns of a sophomore slump were completely unfounded, and B&C have become a band I trust to bring their best with each release. So make sure you catch them out on the road if they come near you, and pick up The Things We Think We’re Missing today.
-Felipe Garcia
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