Balance, Not Symmetry is a soundtrack album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro to the film of the same name, co-written by the band's frontman Simon Neil. Recorded at AIR Studios in England, Monnow Valley Studio in Wales and ICP Studios in Belgium with co-producer Adam Noble, it was released on 17 May 2019 by Warner Bros. Records. Initially available only for digital download and streaming, the album was also issued as a vinyl record on 26 July 2019.
| Balance, Not Symmetry | ||||
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| Released | 17 May 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2018–19 | |||
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| Length | 65:15 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
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| Singles from Balance, Not Symmetry | ||||
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Upon its release, Balance, Not Symmetry debuted at number 8 on the Scottish Albums Chart and number 36 on the UK Albums Chart. The title track, issued as the album's lead single, registered at number 65 on the Scottish Singles Chart and number 19 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart. Media response to the album was generally positive: critics praised the variety of musical styles present on the soundtrack, as well as Neil's vocal performances and lyrical contributions.
Background edit
Balance, Not Symmetry was issued on 17 May 2019, after the release of the title track the previous day.[1] It serves as the soundtrack for the film of the same name, which was directed by Jamie Adams and co-written by Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil.[2] Speaking about the writing process, Neil explained that "On meeting Jamie, we realised early on that we'd both had to deal with grief at a relatively young age and so it was interesting to talk about how we'd both dealt with it and the effect it had on us. And this is the main crux of the film, delving into the lonely world of grief and loss and coming out the other side."[3] Contrary to the typical approach to movie soundtracks, Balance, Not Symmetry was written alongside the production of the movie, rather than after the fact; according to Kerrang! writer Paul Travers, "[Biffy Clyro] weren't just given a movie treatment and asked to write music to fit. Instead, the songs influenced the film and vice-versa, with some of the lyrics and dialogue apparently interchanging".[4] Concurrently to the production of the soundtrack, the band worked on their eighth studio album A Celebration of Endings, which was released in 2020.[5]
According to AllMusic's Matt Collar, Balance, Not Symmetry 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".[6] Gigwise writer Dillon Eastoe noted that the album's lyrics focus primarily on "the thin lines between life and death, and finding solace and survival amidst the grief of losing someone", which he explained were "themes the film will confront".[7] Travers added that "Lyrically, there's more of a storytelling bent, as you might expect. Simon is perhaps less oblique than usual, although no less poetic at times".[4] Prior to the album's release, Neil explained that "I see it as six pairs of songs. There are a couple of songs that are acoustic and Nick Cave-y, there are a couple that are full-on electronic, a couple of songs that are weird hardcore songs, [and] a couple of big epic rock songs".[3]
Reception edit
Commercial edit
Balance, Not Symmetry debuted at number 8 on the Scottish Albums Chart,[8] number 36 on the UK Albums Chart,[9] number 6 on the UK Album Downloads Chart,[10] number 3 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart,[11] and number 4 on the UK Soundtrack Albums Chart.[12] Outside the UK, it reached number 52 on the Swiss Albums Chart.[13]
Critical edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Gigwise |   [7] |
| Kerrang! | [4] |
| NME | [14] |
Media response to Balance, Not Symmetry was generally positive. AllMusic's Matt Collar praised the soundtrack as "a compelling album full of singer Simon Neil's passionate vocals that works as a worthy follow-up to any of their previous albums", selecting "All Singing and All Dancing", "Sunrise" and "Fever Dream" as highlights.[6] Writing for music magazine Kerrang!, Paul Travers hailed the album as "inventive, atmospheric and engrossing as you might hope", claiming that "while this might not be a 'proper' Biffy Clyro album, they've certainly not brought their B game".[4] Dillon Eastoe of Gigwise explained that "It's not quite a reinvention, but after the pressure of consecutive releases ... the surprise release and intensely personal nature of this film project allow Biffy to cast off some of the weight and free their limbs".[7] James McMahon of the NME claimed that Balance, Not Symmetry was "easily the most innovative collection of songs the Scottish band have delivered in a good half decade", claiming that it "takes the band in some fascinating, previously unexplored directions" and "reinvigorates one of Britain's most special of bands".[14]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Simon Neil; additional writers listed
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Balance, Not Symmetry" | 3:01 | |
| 2. | "All Singing and All Dancing" | John Hill | 4:21 |
| 3. | "Different Kind of Love" | John Feldmann | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Sunrise" | 5:01 | |
| 5. | "Pink" | 1:50 | |
| 6. | "Colour Wheel" | Stuart Price | 5:07 |
| 7. | "Gates of Heaven" | Feldmann | 2:40 |
| 8. | "Fever Dream" | 6:12 | |
| 9. | "Navy Blue" | 1:43 | |
| 10. | "Tunnels and Trees" | 4:07 | |
| 11. | "Plead" | 4:09 | |
| 12. | "The Naturals" | 4:19 | |
| 13. | "Yellow" | 2:25 | |
| 14. | "Touch" | 5:29 | |
| 15. | "Jasabiab" | 2:56 | |
| 16. | "Following Master" | 4:41 | |
| 17. | "Adored" | 3:46 | |
| Total length: | 65:15 | ||
Personnel edit
- Simon Neil – lead vocals, guitar, mandolin, keyboards, percussion, marimba, strings, clapping, production
- James Johnston – bass, backing vocals, clapping, production
- Ben Johnston – drums, percussion, marimba, keyboards, backing vocals, clapping, production
- Adam Noble – bass, keyboards, synthesisers, organ, programming, production, engineering, mixing
- Jakwob – keyboards, programming
- Fyfe Dangerfield – piano
- Blair Mowat – programming, orchestral arrangements
- James Hockley – programming
- John Prestage – engineering
- John Paul Reid – engineering
- Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts edit
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] | 68 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[16] | 62 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] | 6 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 52 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 36 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[11] | 3 |
| UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[12] | 4 |
References edit
- ^ "Biffy Clyro share title track from 'Balance, Not Symmetry' soundtrack, and the full album's coming tomorrow!". DIY. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ Grater, Tom (11 May 2018). "Rock band Biffy Clyro reveal film project 'Balance, Not Symmetry' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (17 May 2019). "Listen to Biffy Clyro's surprise new soundtrack album 'Balance, Not Symmetry'". NME. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d Travers, Paul (17 May 2019). "Album Review: Biffy Clyro – Balance, Not Symmetry". Kerrang!. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Biffy Clyro told us all about their epic plans to make two new albums and a movie this year". NME. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Collar, Matt. "Balance, Not Symmetry (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Biffy Clyro: Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b c Eastoe, Dillon (20 May 2019). "Album Review: Biffy Clyro - Balance, Not Symmetry". Gigwise. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100: 24 May 2019 - 30 May 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Biffy Clyro Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100: 24 May 2019 - 31 May 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 24 May 2019 - 31 May 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50: 24 May 2019 - 31 May 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Biffy Clyro". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ a b McMahon, James (17 May 2019). "Biffy Clyro - 'Balance, Not Symmetry' review". NME. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Soundtrack / Biffy Clyro – Balance, Not Symmetry" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 16 August 2019". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 August 2019.