Balance, Not Symmetry [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

by Biffy Clyro

Overview

Upon hearing that Scotland's Biffy Clyro had supplied the soundtrack to the 2019 indie film Balance, Not Symmetry, one might assume it would result in a largely instrumental album with a few of the band's dynamic rock tunes peppered throughout. In actuality, what we get is the exact opposite. Taking inspiration from director Jamie Adams' film about an aspiring painter studying at the Glasgow School of Art who is forced to reevaluate her life in the wake of her father's unexpected death, Biffy Clyro have crafted a compelling album full of singer Simon Neil's passionate vocals that works as a worthy follow-up to any of their previous albums. There are certainly a handful of instrumentals here, including the delicate, piano-driven "Pink," the moody "Yellow," and synthy "Navy Blue," which find the band offering their own inventive take on incidental background movie music. Primarily, the album features many of the stylistic hallmarks that have made the band one of the more interesting and unpredictable alt-rock acts of their generation, including mutative prog rock songcraft, infectious choruses, and hard-hitting riffs juxtaposed with thoughtfully emotive pop lyricism. There's an undercurrent of classic '70s and '80s pop to many of the songs here as "All Singing All Dancing" brings to mind some of Heart's more radio-friendly '80s fare, while "Fever Dream" moves from synthy Alan Parsons-esque art pop to an explosive screamo rock ending. Similarly, the organ-accented "Plead" starts out as a slow jam R&B ballad before culminating in crashing heavy metal fanfare. Elsewhere, Biffy Clyro offer the driving rock of "Sunrise," the folk power anthem "The Naturals," and the hooky kineticism of "Tunnels and Trees." ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	07/26/2019
Label:	Warner Bros.
UPC:	0190295460822
Rank:	97377

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Balance, Not Symmetry
2. All Singing and All Dancing
3. Different Kind of Love
4. Sunrise
5. Pink
6. Colour Wheel
7. Gates of Heaven
8. Fever Dream
9. Navy Blue

Disc 2

10. Tunnels and Trees
11. Plead
12. The Naturals
13. Yellow
14. Touch
15. Jasabiab
16. Following Master
17. Adored

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Biffy Clyro   Primary Artist
Simon Neil   Organ,Guitar,Vocals,Marimba,Strings,Clapping,Mandolin,Keyboards,Percussion
Adam Noble   Bass,Organ,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Peter Gregson   Cello
Ben Johnston   Bass,Drums,Vocals,Marimba,Clapping,Keyboards,Percussion
Fyfe Hutchins   Piano
Richard Ingram   Piano
James Johnston   Bass,Vocals,Clapping,Percussion
James Edward "Jakwob" Jacob   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Ted Jensen   Mastering
Biffy Clyro   Producer
John Feldmann   Composer
Stuart Price   Composer
Simon Neil   Composer
Adam Noble   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
John Prestage   Engineer
Ben Johnston   Composer
John Hill   Composer
John Paul Reid   Engineer
James Johnston   Composer
Blair Mowat   Orchestral Arrangements