Balance And Composure Deliver A Fitting Fall Classic In ‘with you in spirit’

Alternative emo rock band Balance and Composure have graced us with their fourth studio (and comeback) record ‘with you in spirit’. This marks their first album since 2016’s ‘Light We Made’, and their first release since the ‘Too Quick to Forgive’ singles from last year. This record dives into why this band has become such an emo staple over the years within our scene, and how their comeback really underlines their talents within the songwriting and composition of this record. 

The record kicks off with a short intro track with “Restless”, and we get the real emo vibes right off the rip. The lyrics also fit the vibe immediately for the album, and it’s a good way to set the tone in an interesting one at that. The vocals have a bit of an effect on it that I wasn’t expecting on the first track, but it makes it unique in a way. We’re followed up with even more of the emo I’m familiar with when it comes to this band and the era they come from, with “Ain’t It Sweet”. It gives off such vibes of the early 2010’s, like the guitar delivered by guitarist Erik Petersen give off such fall vibes, as this album will as a whole. A song like this is a good example of something that deserves to be played throughout the coming months. The little sample at the beginning and throughout is a cool addition too, really keeps that unique aspect from the intro track. The fade out vocals are a nice touch to end the track, and it certainly won’t be the last we see of that. This for sure makes as a highlight off this album. We jump to more stripped back kind of vibe with the fourth single, with “Any Means”. It starts off with a cool acoustic guitar with clean guitar to back it up, a detail I appreciate every time. The bass delivered by bassist Matt Warner really shines here and stands out really well. I think it does a great job of capturing one side of this band as a good representation of some of the places they’ll go to explore their sound. And I just really appreciate the atmospheric nature of a song like this, it helps you get lost in the experience of this record.

We’re followed up with the first single from the record, with “Cross to Bear”. The bass once again shines right away, and the whole song in general is so gorgeous to listen to. From vocalist Jon Simmons‘ elegantly delivered vocals, to the mesmerizing guita delivered in the chorus…it’s just all so impressive and I love it. I tend to get lost in the second verse of this track, as it pulls you in and it’s crazy just how it’ll do that in the context of this album. I also love how the drums feel more pounding on the last chorus, as we follow up with another fade out. We follow up that amazing track, with possibly one of the best songs of the year with third single “Believe the Hype”. The melodies right off the bat are so up my alley with what I look for in this genre specifically. I absolutely love the chorus, and the lyrics feel so raw to back up all these different elements that I just wanna grab onto. One lyric that really stood out during the chorus is “I mistake lust for passion”, and it’s just little lines like that which impress me in the subtle but incredible lyricism of this band. The drums here really stand out by drummer Dennis Wilson, especially during the second verse. The instrumentals and the vocals during the bridge are absolutely magnificent too, you can feel the aggression throughout and how it’s built up to that bridge so well. We follow up with another more of a laid back track, with “Lead Foot”. The acoustic at the start is a nice touch, and I just appreciate how well this band just adds all kinds of different elements to make a song sound as beautiful as it can possibly be. This track gives off such Citizen vibes, and the way they approach their songs. It’s also a track that feels quite fitting to be listened to in the later hours, maybe on a late night drive of sorts. We follow up with one of the first couple singles, with “Sorrow Machine” and the quintessential emo vibes are back in full effect. The bass comes off so clean here, and it’s another track where I appreciate the aggression building throughout. The lyrics really stand out here as well, specifically “You think you’re falling for me? I know you’re falling for something, ’cause no one is safe yet”. It’s just a lyric that fits the vibe of this song so well, as it’s dark and gloomy and could have many meanings behind it. They provide another strong chorus here as well, and it’s so nice to see in 2024 as we get different meanings of what emo is to people.

We reach the home stretch of this record, with three very impressive tracks. Starting off with “A Little of Myself”, we get a grittier kind of vibe to their sound and the bass and guitar tone backs that up pretty well. This one actually gives me vibes of the two tracks we got last year on ‘Too Quick to Forgive’. That release had two incredible tracks, but it makes sense as why they were kept off this record to have a song like this one. It’s providing such a powerful chorus, and a very pretty bridge where all elements of this band feel like they’re on display. It makes for another highlight off this record, and another pretty solid example of this band summed up in a song. We reach the penultimate track on this album, with “Closer to God”, and I gotta give hats off to the production on here. From the guitar, bass, drums, and vocals…producer Will Yip has made a name for himself in this scene and to the emo genre alone over the years. The guitar in particular feels so melancholy on this track, and the bass is extra crispy here as well. The lyrics are delivered most impressively here, and the emotion comes through on this one. You can tell the personal experience and environment Simmons is writing about on a track like this, and how vulnerable it comes off as. And the chorus feels perfect for this kind of track, it’s hard to not call this track a standout on this record…but also this band’s discography. We reach the end of the record with the title track, and also the final single. It caps this off with another one that’s right up my alley sound wise, as it feels so nostalgic to listen to and dive into regarding its sound. It delivers another wonderful chorus, and I just love the upbeat guitar right before it and during. It makes the verses and chorus of this track feel more uplifting and a favorite of mine as well. This song is another example of this band and this record having me in their grips and just all in, and the fact this ends the album makes the experience throughout so worth it. And gotta say, the guitar fade out to end the album is pretty legendary.

It’s tough to put ‘with you in spirit’ by Balance and Composure into words really. But it’s a record that makes me feel so nostalgic for the music I grew up listening to, as well as the records I hold so close in my 20’s and the memories that come with them. It’s truly a newfound classic for the genre, and it really makes their comeback worthwhile as this will resonate and speak to so many of their fans.