One of the most anticipated splits of 2013 is finally released on February 26th. Old-school emo/alternative rock band, Braid, teamed up with more modern emo/punk rock band, Balance And Composure to release a four-track EP. Since Braid has been around since 1993, we’ve all been waiting to see the influential band collaborate with a newer band to showcase both how their sound has progressed and how they’ve influenced music today.
Unfortunately, for those who have been following Braid band throughout their influential career, the beginning of the split sounds more like the Closer To Closed Braid rather than the Frame And Canvas Braid. It’s apparent that they have chosen to separate themselves from the at-one-time forgotten Midwestern emo scene that has recently found resurgence with the new wave of indie/emo bands like Balance And Composure.
The opening song, Lux, brings the return of music pioneer Bob Nanna but in a questionable sense. This doesn’t sound like Bob in any of his projects, ever. The closest comparison could be to Hey Mercedes but there’s still such a void in the way he’s singing that leaves me uncomfortable at best. Maybe it’s age; maybe it’s my pretentious side that wishes it were the '90s again. Seriously though, this song just has no substance to what Braid really is, was, could be, and has been for so many bands that followed in their pivotal past. Outside of the vocals though, you can find some catchy parts, interesting time signature changes, and a very good bridge. Braid always has been great at this and that cannot be taken away from them, ever.
This may be the first time I’m saying this, but the shining part of Braid’s side of the split is in track two, Many Enemies, with Chris Broach’s vocals coming in to prevent me from having a second musically-induced coma in a row. I say this with great caution though because it still seems as if Chris hasn’t heard about nasal spray. The beginning of this song is great and led me to believe that there was promise but the lead guitar really never changes outside of it’s main riff and it just feels like the generic intro-verse-chorus song that virtually anyone over the age of 16 could write in their parents' garage. Hands down, the corniest part of this split has to be the “this is my city” chant because it’s obviously way too late for a band of this caliber to start claiming dibs on territory. Maybe I’m being too harsh, but then again, this is what happens when you try to stay relevant in a completely new scene, regardless of the tremendous impact you previously made.
Continuing on, Balance And Composure’s half of the split certainly does not disappoint, but at the same time, it doesn’t necessarily live up to the high expectations that I had either. Based upon their previous releases on albums Only Boundaries, Balance And Composure/Tigers Jaw split, and Separation, my anticipation was high for Jon Simmons’ grungy/raspy voice and their ingenious ability to produce melodic music with the right amount of kick. However, with their two new songs on this split, that special kick never seems to show up.
You Can’t Fix Me is Balance And Composure’s first song of the split. The song starts off with a slower pace, similar to some of their previous songs, such as Quake and More To Me. The intro then leads into noticeably cleaner vocals from lead singer Jon Simmons saying, “don’t waste your breath on me”. However, the progression of the song doesn’t really seem to pick up until around 1:56. And even still, it’s not the Balance And Composure that we’ve grown to know. It’s a much more toned-down sound, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. It’s just rather surprising. You Can’t Fix Me is a great display of how polished Balance And Composure has become.
Say is the second and last song by Balance And Composure. Similar to You Can’t Fix Me, it’s a continuation of the band showcasing how they’ve matured their sound for this split. The song starts off with a quick drum intro before heading right into Simmons’ vocals. It continues on with a soft melody until the chorus picks up into a subtly harder sound. The rest of the song follows this same structure. The most impressive aspect of both Say and You Can’t Fix Me would have to be the improved vocals by Simmons. However, with that being said, I think we can all agree that we miss his occasional rasp and hard-hitting flare that he added to Balance And Composure’s previous albums.
The Braid/Balance And Composure split is an almost teacher/student collaboration that provides a different sound for both bands. It’s interesting to see how both bands have grown up musically over time. Even though that might be better for some than others.
Tracklist:
Braid
1. Lux
2. Many Enemies
Balance And Composure
3. You Can’t Fix Me
4. Say
Rating:
Written by Mary Harvilla
