Today (Tuesday, April 11, for those reading this in the future) was supposed to be a low-key day. Aside from a couple of my favorite podcasts releasing new episodes, there was no imminent release for me to listen to while I toiled away at my 9 to 5. Sure, reviews for this week's movie releases like Renfield or Mafia Mamma could had dropped, giving me an idea as to which one I'll use my weekly AMC Stubs A-List reservation on. The NBA Play-In Tournament would tip off later, with the two 7-8 games to be played. It was a quiet day, which, given the weight of Sunday's Succession episode, was a welcome change. It was quiet, but not for long.
Shortly after 10:00am EST, my group chat exploded with the news that Balance & Composure, one of the most inventive and powerful bands of the early-2010s "emo revival," had reunited. Their new EP Too Quick to Forgive features two new songs, streaming worldwide now and releasing on vinyl in mid-June. It'll be the first time the band has released new music since 2017's Record Store Date EP Slow Heart, which was release before the band ground to a halt a year later. Despite a fond farewell that was capped by a sold-out finale at one of Philadelphia's biggest rooms (the gorgeous Fillmore), there was a void left in the hearts of those who supported the band. No one made music quite like Balance & Composure, who spent their time weaving between the pop-punk, post-hardcore, and emo scenes throughout their career, allowing them to reach fans across a wide spectrum of genres. The band's frontman Jon Simmons remained active within the scene under the moniker Creeks, but an appearance on the Epitaph Records podcast last year appeared to be the final nail in the band's coffin. Simmons opined that in-fighting and a lack of support for their third full-length Light We Made turned the band's experience sour, and they saw no other way out of the misery than to close that chapter of their lives.
Thankfully, the book on Balance & Composure is still being written. Too Quick to Forgive showcases that the band's formula for affecting emo wasn't so easily forgotten. "Savior Mode" feels like it could have been pulled from the writing sessions for The Things We Think We're Missing, while Last to Know harkens back to the band's earlier work on Separation or their highly-regarded split with fellow Pennsylvania emo outfit Tigers Jaw. The former track showcases the band's ability to craft great singles like "Quake" or "Tiny Raindrop," but it's the latter, which clocks in at 6:29 --easily the longest song the band have ever recorded-- that shows some added flair to the already-proven formula. I've long lamented the clear cash-grab returns from retirement we've seen so often in emo, but this one feels different. To put it plainly, Balance & Composure seem to have some unfinished business to tend to, and I can't wait to see where this new road leads them.
The excitement for the Balance & Composure reunion is already evident, as they're already selling out vinyl variants of Too Quick to Forgive. It warms the heart to see such fervor for a band that had been radio-silent for a few years, but as we've seen a few times already this year, it's not an uncommon occurrence. Kick-started by the surprise release of the Fireworks full-length album Higher Lonely Power, the emo scene in 2023 is coming to be defined by new releases from the titans of the early 2000s, and the comebacks of many gone-but-not-forgotten greats.
Fireworks lead the charge early with the release of Power, their most expansive and genre-breaking effort to date. Since then, we've also seen some exciting news flash on our timelines, as Long Island, NY rock outfit The Sleeping roared back to life with two reunion shows, where the packed-in crowds were the first to learn that the band had completed a brand new album that would be released later this year. Since then, the album has been announced, alongside a Kickstarter campaign to help the band recoup the cost of self-funding the project. The gamble the band took on has paid off already, as the fundraiser for the band's fifth album I Feel Like I'm Becoming a Ghost reached its goal within two weeks of the announcement. To celebrate, the band sent out their first new song since 2010, titled "OCD," to those who had backed the project (and anyone who will back it in the future). It's been a while since a notable band launched a crowdfunding campaign like this for a new release, and to have it be received so warmly is a great sign for any other bands looking to re-enter the fold as well.
While they may not have ever reached the heights of the bands I've mentioned before them, Closure in Moscow's sudden rebirth is something worthy of your attention as well. The band just released "Better Way," the first new song in nearly a decade, and it's the textbook definition of "pick up where you left off." Soaring riffs and Christopher de Cinque's signature vocals are all still here, and the Australian outfit that helped pave the way for bands like Hands Like Houses and Northlane hasn't missed a step in their prolonged absence. If you missed the boat on the band before they turned in for a long hibernation "Better Way" is a great place to introduce yourself to them, and you'll have a brand new album called Soft Hell to dig into on June 21. Still not convinced? Consider the company the band are keeping: they'll be opening for Deafheaven in their homeland this May and June.
There's always a point in the year where the amount of new music, movies, and TV shows released seemingly every day can become overwhelming, and we've reached that point in 2023. Despite the sensory overload, I'm still taken aback by how many comebacks from long-dormant bands we're seeing this year. Whether it's any of the bands I mentioned already, who are scratching the itch to create new music, or bands taht just want to get out and play shows again like Houston Calls and The Junior Varsity (both bands will be checking into the House of Independents in Asbury Park, NJ for a weekend residency in June) , it's clear that there's been a spike in productivity across the emo landscape in recent years. So what's the cause?
A couple of months back, my good friend Craig Ismaili and I were discussing our top songs of 2022 on The Collections Podcast. As we were simultaneously counting down to our #1 songs of the year, a trend developed in the middle portion of our lists, as the likes of longstanding emo bands like Bayside, The Wonder Years, Death Cab for Cutie, and Coheed & Cambria all turned in career-best efforts last year. Craig surmised that due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was extended further for live concert performances, a lot of these bands spent that time wondering if they'd ever be able to play shows again. This aching and soul-searching period seems to have lead to reinvigorated songwriting across the emo subgenres, and fans worldwide have reciprocated that passion by returning in droves to packed concert halls, even despite the TicketMaster/LiveNation tomfoolery. Still, those bands Craig and I were discussing were active, so is the pandemic really the cause for the resurfacing of so many bands as well?
It's difficult to say otherwise. The isolation and removal of in-person contact had a profound effect on a lot of people, and I'd imagine that doing so may have given those who hadn't spoken to their band family members in a long time the push they needed to mend fences and reconnect once it was safe. The Sleeping's reunion may provide insight into this, as they're reuniting to their original Questions and Answers lineup for the first time in 16 years. Perhaps Balance & Composure's reconciliation was brought on by the aforementioned podcast appearance from Jon Simmons, and his reflection upon the bands unfortunate unraveling and hinting that he'd be open to giving it another try provided the spark they needed.
Of course, there's a monetary aspect that could be a factor as well. The resurgence of emo has been spearheaded by festivals like the Las Vegas-based When We Were Young, the resurrected Bamboozle Festival (for now), and the Hawthorne Heights-curated _______ is for Lovers Festivals have all provided a great opportunity for bands to perform to huge crowds in a post-Warped Tour scene. This seems to be the case for bands like Motion City Sountrack, who will be appearing on the 4th run of the Sad Summer Festival (which also includes appearances by fellow retirees Head Automatica) before hitting the road with The All-American Rejects, who themselves are headlining a tour for the first time since... their last appearance on Warped Tour.
Of course, there's a danger in attempting to paint these sudden reunions with a broad brush. These are all major decisions made by the bands and their members, as they're diving back into the murky waters that may have hurt them before. Whatever the reason we're seeing these groups awake from their slumber, they've added more reasons why it's a great time to be a fan of emo music right now.
Oh, and if someone who reads this has a way of contacting The Receiving End of Sirens, let them know we're more than ready for their re-entry, too.
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