| After an eight-year hiatus, Balance and Composure have returned with their thunderous fourth LP, with you in spirit, available now via Memory Music. Produced by Grammy-nominated collaborator Will Yip (Turnstile, Title Fight), this deeply atmospheric record combines the band’s signature melodic post-punk with towering rock crescendos. Thematically, it offers a stunning exploration of preemptive grief, faith, and familial mortality, themes that vocalist and guitarist Jon Simmons wrestles with. Throughout, with you in spirit navigates this emotional tension with crystal-clear arrangements, gripping grooves, and moments of raw, earth-shaking power. Its dynamic range is evidence of Balance and Composure’s growth while expertly calling back to the sound that drew listeners in from the start. |
Musically, this feels like Balance and Composure’s true form––collectively, Simmons, lead guitarist Erik Petersen, guitarist Andy Slaymaker, bassist Matt Warner, and drummer Dennis Wilson are pulling from the best parts of themselves. The result is both intimate and universal in its appeal. 2016’s Light We Made was meant to be Balance and Composure’s final full-length record. When they announced their breakup in 2019, things weren’t clicking the way they used to; it felt like the group had run out of road. But when the pandemic took hold the following year and ripped away all routine, Simmons started to miss his long-time bandmates. Eventually, Petersen reached out with a simple question: how would they feel about simply trying to write music together again? Everyone agreed—the absence had weighed heavily on them, and the friends gathered in October 2022 and began to write new songs. “I began to feel like a kid again,” says Simmons. “We were writing these songs for the pure reason of having an outlet and getting together with your friends, no pressure. We were longing for it, and we found it as soon as we got together. We didn’t want that train to stop.” |
“WITH YOU IN SPIRIT”, IS OUT NOW VIA MEMORY MUSIC |
