Los Angeles-based band New Balance comprises Jeremy Leasure, Jacob Maag, Emily Monnig, Dawson Timpany, and Andy Campbell.
Their 3rd album “To Live And Die In LA” is scheduled for release in spring of 2026, but you can enjoy a taste of what’s to come with their new double single – Lemon Slice / Pocket Change.
Lemon Slice
What a wonderful, lilting, idiosyncratic sound! The guitar tone is great, and it’s front and centre from the start, weaving its way through an ever-so-slightly dissonant melody. This wouldn’t be out of place in a David Lynch soundtrack.
Jeremy’s vocal has a distinct, naturally crystalline tone, and they perfectly cut through here, casually dishing out penetrating lines that attempt to document (as the band put it) “the deep reserve of sadness that lies just below the surface”.
“Crushing melancholy, we’re both clown show and peanut gallery,
Can’t escape the many ways we’re hurtling towards an ending,
It’s just another Friday night, I’ve clearly gotten too stoned,
Nature shows make me weep in my safe apartment alone“
The cosy warmth and rounded edges of the rhythm guitars, electric pianos and lush backing vox are like a safety blanket, shielding us from the disturbing message of the track. The band writes, “As society becomes increasingly more unhinged, the smallest things can become devastating. A reminder of what we are enacting upon ourselves and our planet”
They list Bill Withers, David Bowie, and Talking Heads as influences, and there is certainly a similarly playful, texturally rich sound here.
The end of the song is bookended with the riff from the intro, and as the line “These little devastations” is repeated, it feels like we are casually strolling along a tightrope, suspended above the abyss. Oh well!
Pocket Change
The 2nd track takes a slightly smoother, groovier approach – the bass pulses, and there are some nice, tactile percussive elements. It’s a cosy sound, but it is a song about confusion, anger, frustration, and distrust in both yourself and society at large.
“Keep hearing that we’ve gotta run for our lives,
The horsemen are on the wings,
And the lion’s found its pride,
But I remain unconvinced”
Layers of detail slowly reveal themselves. Breathy backing vocals, chimes, congas, subtle synths, and a wah-wah-tinged guitar groove join the main vocal to create a foreboding and slightly spooky atmosphere.
Pocket Change creeps along like a ghostly figure in the night, and for just under 3 minutes, it feels like we are witnessing some sort of ritual slow-dance.
Lemon Slice / Pocket Change is out now, and New Balance are performing at Los Angeles’ Scribble in Highland Park on September 16th in honour of the release.
Written by Grubby
