Balter's "used to be" displays the highs and lows of love [Review]

Balter has never been one to dodge the messiness and excellent middle of love, and on their latest single, "used to be," they go full force into the riding-the-waves emotional whirlwind that is young romance and bittersweet. Frontman Tom's guileless vocal delivery and a guitar shimmer that recalls the golden hour bottled as sound combine with it to create the kind of heartbreak that we all thought would end our lives when we were 17. It's awkward and raw. And it's so relatable, but it's pained and painful.

As Tom explains, this is not a love song but a "cringy" one. And that is precisely where the magic of quietness is. Instead of buffing away the disjointed, messy elements, Balter leaned into them. They embody the wild highs and equally crushing lows of first love, dusting off the dramatic lens we wore before we knew better or just became numb to what George Michael once called different corners. It's blunt-force honesty, but glittery instrumentation and insistent pacing help to transform emotional chaos into something worth dancing through. "used to be" sounds like something you'd pass around on a mixtape on the sly. The kind you'd play after a breakup just to be made to feel something. It's thoughtful yet fresh. Heartbreaking, yet still hopeful. And at under three minutes, it has you desperate to reach for the repeat button before the sting has even subsided.

One of the songs on an upcoming EP about the tense fabric of relationships, "used to be," acts as the thesis, not a love-in, but a red flag disguised as freewheeling energy. Think Aztec Camera, but weaned on Wi-Fi and heartbreak memes. That's Balter. With increasing blog attention from CLOUT, Gigslutz, Alfitude, support from BBC Introducing, and live slots at SXSW London and the Isle of Wight festival, Balter is a band that redefines heartbreak. If you've ever felt like your world was crashing down over a breakup text, "used to be" is for you.

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