Balance and Composure - With You in Spirit (October 4th 2024) Album • Page 24

I feel like Slowheart is probably their peak for me but this album comes close to that quality a few times here

 

Ok third listen and it’s growing on me a lot

 

Didn’t really care for Believe The Hype but now it’s hitting. Also kinda sounds like it’s about their old drummer?

 

Lead Foot is soo cool and some of the guitar reminds me of Enemy

 

I need to listen to this with my good headphones. Feel like I haven’t noticed the guitars layers like I did in the last 2 EPs

Think the last 3 songs is my favorite stretch on here.

 

They fucking whipped live tonight. So glad they’re back. Need more old songs in the set but the new songs all sounded really great. Postcard also sounded so sick as hell.

 

Did they play more to me ?

 

On the pitch of discontent podcast, Jon touches on the lyrics for it and seems to be pretty clear that it’s a broken heart song. Talks about being in love and not getting it back.

 

Knowing a few of the themes of this album, like his dad being sick and them not having a good relationship and it potentially not getting resolved before he dies, along with his mom being sick and his siblings carrying the burden of caring for a sick parent since he lived far away makes some of these lyrics hit much harder.

 

Kind of think this is fine but extremely same-y. "ain't it sweet," "cross to bear," "closer to god," and the closer are the highlights for me, but I agree with it feeling pretty restrained and not really attempting anything new or exciting. Still enjoyable, hoping it continues to grow on me, but I much prefer TTWTWM and LWM at the moment.

 

I wouldnt clock this album as their best, dont think its a flop by any means, i just think all the songs just kinda sounds the same IMO. Regardless, i believe savior mode if definitively their best song. I love that song to death.

 

TTWTWM is their best for me. Would love a remaster of it though.

 

I just want the live version on streaming

 

There is nothing on here I don't enjoy but the album as a whole is missing the variety and dynamics of earlier work. There's no grit in the vocals and many of the songs are hard to tell apart on early listens.

I think it'll be a grower.

 

The dark textures of Jon’s lower register about a minute into “ain’t it sweet” (“Got the paranoia…”), and the entirety of “lead foot”, is so cool. I could listen to an entire album of that easily.

 

Love this album. It's probably second place behind TTWTWM for me and I definitely resonate with whoever in this thread called it the Slow Heart LP. Stand outs for me are closer to god and believe the hype. Only miss for me is ain't it sweet.

Glad to have these boys back and here's to many more years!

 

What am I missing ?

This band needs to be bigger, and why are they not ?

They should be headlining arenas!

Someone please explain to me why they aren't!

 

Probably because you won’t go to their shows.

 

come on

 

lol

 

The last two tracks on this slay

 

correction : whole album slays

 

this is exactly how i feel, and i’m an absolute massive fan of their entire discography. for me, the standouts are the first couple of singles and the last 2 tracks. i really enjoy any and all b&c so it’s not a problem necessarily that i don’t feel like there’s much variety, but it’s definitely interesting hearing so much positive discourse leading up to my first listen only to kinda… get that experience and be a little underwhelmed ultimately.

still love them. hope they make another one and i hope this grows on me.

 

I think the only thing they could have done to make this album the best of their career was to add savior mode and last to know for 12 songs, and all the songs would have flowed perfectly

thoughts?

 

They already released so many singles for the album, it would’ve been odd to include two songs released well over a year ago on the release too. I also think Last to Know fits the vibe of the record, but Savior Mode feels a little removed from how the rest of the album sounds. I think the production is different too, especially on Jon’s voice.

You could probably make your own playlist and slot them in somewhere. Savior Mode would fit well after Ain’t It Sweet, and Last to Know could go after Sorrow Machine. I still mostly listen to my reworked version of LWM where I *ahem* cut off two songs on the original release and slot in all three Slowheart songs.