The Breakdown
The second EP from these guys continues the great work they demonstrated with Malice In Tone (read our review here). Recorded across multiple studios, the band self-recorded sections at Studio Alouette in France, some parts with Joshua Rumble (Gang of Four, Black Country, New Road) at Big Red Studios in Cheshire, and also spent time recording with Richard Woodcraft (Radiohead, Liam Gallagher, Rachel Chinouriri) in London. “The EP is announcing the next chapter of the band, we know what Balancing Act is and where it can go, this body of work is another teaser of what that could be. We’re tighter than ever and far more sure of ourselves, we’re ready to shift up another gear”.
‘She Plays The Theremin’ has been around for a while now and still sounds fantastic and is a great opening track that links the band’s previous release to this new body of work. Strong guitars match the superb vocal delivery on this upbeat banger with its powerful chorus thats is as stage ready as anything these guys have written.
The EP’s second single and second track, ‘Laylow,’ has a chilled acoustic vibe. That is before Kai Roberts turns on the inner rock God. Guitarist Jackson Couzens brings his trademark melodic jangles to the fore, which have coloured many a Balancing Act track. Once again, Couzens and Roberts are a perfectly matched duo.
Noticeably nifty work on ‘Laylow’, bassist David Carpenter’s fuzzed up tone sits bang in the centre of tracks ‘Under The Table’ and the indie-tastic ‘Ballad Of A Lonely Man’. He lays solid ground for the tracks to be built on. Roberts steps up to the plate of charismatic front man once again. From smouldering on ‘Under The Table’ to letting things go like the blistering opening track and bringing the explosive screams on ‘Laylow’
The highlight is the new track AWOL. It’s a stinging track that burns slowly, building into a live stomper once Patrick Hanbury’s drums kick. There is a good reason for the emotional sting that sits within the tracks mix as during a writing session, as Kai Roberts learned of the passing of a close friend. Initially resigned to keeping it private, ‘AWOL’ quickly became a special song for the band, and one they felt was right to share. Roberts adds, “AWOL is our personal favourite. It was written about someone I lost last year that was very close to me, and to write a song about her felt like the most natural thing for me to do, so she can be remembered in the most beautiful way I know how.”
Their live swagger is distilled and woven into the tracks on this EP. Five tracks chart the course of this band’s constantly improving songwriting talents. A band that is confident in its own abilities and knows that they have the songs to back it.
Check out the live version of AWOL recorded with Propeller Sessions below:
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