Balance and Composure - Separation

Balance and Composure are basically a band that made the clear decision at some point that they wanted to sound as much like Brand New as possible. By doing this, they don't really have to even list Jesse Lacey as an influence, because everyone knows what went down here. They also sound a lot like other bands, more-so ones from the 90s than anything:  Nirvana and Sunny Day Real Estate. Of course, I'm making all this judgement based on their split with Tigers Jaw...for all I know while writing this paragraph, 'Separation' may sound like the Nekromantix, or One Cool Guy, or even like dogs fucking. I guess that's the point of reviewing it...so you and I both find this shit out.

One song in and you'll notice that they amped up the 90s grunge-type-music influence to the max. I'm fairly certain I've heard this first song "Void" under a different name by one of those bands my dad listened to constantly when I was growing up. So who cares? Sometimes albums start off on a bad food. It happens. The title track "Separation" actually sounds pretty awesome...it brings that whole Brand New influence I was discussing back to surface. I don't really like the way this album was recorded, though. The guitar tone is really washy and feels kind of like an Amplitude setting or something, and the drums honestly sound like somebody isn't very good at EZ Drummer, yet still insisted the album boast some fake drumming. I heard tell of this album being a solid punk release...I've been handed some false information.

The worst part about not liking the way the instruments sound on this album, is the fact that all the songs are long as fuck, and it's a long as fuck album. Meaning, I have to sit through all of the songs regardless of the fact that I don't particularly feel very inclined to do such. There are a plethora of things I'd much rather be contributing my time to, some of which being:

• Becoming a yo-yo wizard.
• Rewatching episodes of The Office (US) that I've already seen a million times.
• Listening to the Dopamines/Dear Landlord Split a million times in a row.
• Watching every episode of Adventure time at least three times.
• Mowing the lawn, which I already mowed today.
• Listening to Tigers Jaw.
• Reviewing the new Credentials vinyl which I do not own.

There are other things, but it'd be kind of rude of me to completely steal the limelight of this album. However, that list did take the entire third track to write, and that means I win. 

The next song, like many songs on this album, is really mellow and slightly forgettable. It kind of makes me wish I had more things to put into list format, but I don't. However, here is a list of things I wish I had the time to put into list format:

• Number of belly buttons I have on my body.
• Various reasons I've used to go off subject in a review or interview.
• Places in which I have filled out online applications to today.
• Which all breeds of dogs I've owned, and which all breeds of dogs I've invented in my head.

This list came just 20 seconds short of taking up that whole song, so I guess that's also a pretty exciting feat. 

"I Tore You Apart In My Head" is the next Brand New styled song that sounds pretty fucking rad. It has energy, some speed, shitty sounding drums, and good vocals that were clearly done by Jesse Lacey in disguise as Count Olaf in disguise as the singer of Balance and Composure. The way it was meant to be done, ya buncha posers. The song doesn't take long to fall apart and become boring again, so don't worry. It's also followed by another obviously stolen from some 90s Nirvana wannabe band song. Happens.

Not much really needs mentioned for this album. I mean, I can just put forth a list of the remaining songs that have some sort of listening value, and since I love listing things so much, I will:

• Progress, Progress
• Patience

Done. 

-Idle

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