Many bands have suffered from releasing a second album and falling into a “sophomore slump.” With no hesitation here, Balance and Composure overcame this challenge with their second full-length album titled “The Things We Think We’re Missing,” which encompasses that classic Balance and Composure sound with a few twists and turns.
With ’90s-style grunge and alt rock taking a turn for the better with bands such as Daylight, Title Fight and Basement, Balance and Composure really captured this style and ran with it. Right off the bat, “TTWTWM” shows some heavy Nirvana influences on tracks such as “Notice Me” (No. 5) with their dark alternative guitars that takes the viewers right back to 1991. Balance and Composure has teamed up with producer Will Yip (Circa Survive, Title Fight, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters), which explains the ’90s influence, and Anthony Green of Circa Survive has a guest appearance on “Keepsake” (No. 12), which adds to the credibility of this band.
The album starts off with “Parachutes,” which sets the pace for the whole album. This is not your typical upbeat starting track, but instead a progressive song with heavy drums and distorted guitars that accompany the bone-chilling screams of lead singer Jon Simmons. One of the standout tracks is “Dirty Head” (No. 11), which is Simmons and an acoustic guitar that leaves us feeling melancholy.
“TTWTWM” takes us on an emotional ride with lyrics that powerfully hit home and are almost uncomfortably relatable, but have not lost that Balance and Composure melody that we all love. The heaviness and power of this album will give you goosebumps and make you shake in your skin.
Balance and Composure really made a name for themselves with this album and are here to stay. I award this album a 4.5/5, by far their best album. You can catch them on tour in Salt Lake City on Sept. 30 at In the Venue with guests Title Fight, Cruel Hand and Slingshot Dakota.
