The Balance

Following the release of 'The Ride' on 27 May 2016, the band played a world tour which included their first ever headlining UK arena tour including The SSE Arena, Wembley.{{cite web|url=https://www.list.co.uk/article/81080-catfish-and-the-bottlemen-announce-uk-tour|title=Catfish and the Bottlemen announce UK tour|last=Smith|first=Kirstyn|date=31 May 2016|accessdate=27 April 2019}} During this tour, Van McCann teased a third album and said that they would begin to record it by the end of 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39139600/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-ready-to-go-on-third-album|title=Catfish and the Bottlemen 'ready to go' on third album - BBC Newsbeat|publisher=BBC|date=3 March 2017|accessdate=27 April 2019}} In 2018 the band headlined "This is Tomorrow" festival and played a sold out show at Cardiff Castle with support from Twin Atlantic.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/catfish-and-bottlemen/2018-huge-outdoor-shows-cardiff-newcastle|title=Catfish And The Bottlemen Announce HUGE Outdoor Shows For 2018 - Radio X|website=Radio X|date=13 December 2017|access-date=27 April 2019}}

{{cite web|url=https://www.hmv.com/music/hmv-com-reviews-catfish-and-the-bottlemen-cardiff-castle|title=hmv.com reviews... Catfish and the Bottlemen @ Cardiff Castle|website=HMV|date=31 July 2018|accessdate=27 April 2019}}

On 25 June 2018 the band announced their second headlining show at The SSE Arena, Wembley which would be postponed to fit in with a sold out UK and Ireland tour in February 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/catfish-and-bottlemen/2019-uk-and-irish-tour-reschedule-wembley|title=Catfish And The Bottlemen Announce 2019 UK & Irish Dates - Radio X|publisher=Radio X|date=24 September 2018|accessdate=27 April 2019}} On 8 January 2019 the band premiered the first single from 'The Balance' entitled 'Longshot' through Future Sounds With Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1.{{cite web|url=https://www.xsnoize.com/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-reveal-longshot-their-first-new-music-in-three-years-ahead-of-uk-arena-tour|title=CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN reveal 'Longshot' their first new music in three years ahead of UK Arena tour|last=Millar|first=Mark|website=XS Noize|date=8 January 2019|accessdate=27 April 2019}} McCann revealed that "Longshot" was the first song they recorded for the album, but that it was not supposed to be the lead single: "I actually had another one which I thought was stronger, but I turned up to the guys and played them Longshot and they were like: 'What?'" He said that producers "enjoyed it so much they decided to keep it as the first taste of the new record".{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/lifestyles/entertainment/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-to-release-new-album-in-april/article_ef8f35d5-8df7-537f-8976-1a2540cf14c8.html|title=Catfish and the Bottlemen to release new album in April|work=The Herald-Mail|date=27 January 2019|accessdate=28 January 2019}}

The album was officially announced on 25 January 2019 alongside a European tour" The second single 'Fluctuate' was released on 13 February 2019 and was described by McCann in an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show that the track was one of the "heaviest" tracks the band had done to date.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-new-song-fluctuate-2447454|title=List to Catfish And The Bottlemen's new song 'Fluctuate'|website=NME|last=Daly|first=Rhian|date=13 February 2019|accessdate=27 April 2019}}

Van McCann stated about recording with Jacknife Lee at Grouse Lodge studios in Ireland that "It's good when you're completely engulfed in recording in a place like that, living together, because every day and all day it was about the songs. We had fun too; they were the funniest album sessions we've done."

{{Album ratings

| MC = 53/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-balance/catfish-and-the-bottlemen|title=The Balance by Catfish and the Bottlemen Reviews and Tracks - Metacritic |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=29 June 2019}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-balance-mw0003253506|title=The Balance – Catfish and the Bottlemen |publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=27 April 2019 |last=Erlewine |first=Steven}}

| rev2 = Dork

| rev2score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.readdork.com/reviews/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-the-balance|title=Catfish and The Bottlemen - The Balance|work=Dork|date=26 April 2019 |accessdate=27 April 2019 |last=Cabré|first=Alex}}

| rev3 = The Independent

| rev3score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/aldous-harding-review-designer-album-the-cranberries-catfish-the-balance-soak-a8885691.html|title=Album reviews: Aldous Harding, The Cranberries, Soak, and Catfish and the Bottlemen|work=The Independent|date=25 April 2019 |accessdate=27 April 2019 |last=O'Connor|first=Roisin}}

| rev4 = NARC Magazine

| rev4score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://narcmagazine.com/album-review-catfish-and-the-bottlemen-the-balance|title=ALBUM REVIEW: Catfish and the Bottlemen- The Balance|work=NARC Magazine|date=24 April 2019 |accessdate=27 April 2019 |last=Doyle|first=Laura}}

| rev5 = NME

| rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-the-balance-review |title=Catfish & The Bottlemen – 'The Balance' review |work=NME |date=18 April 2019 |accessdate=27 April 2019 |last=Bassett |first=Jordan}}

| rev6 = The Times

| rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/catfish-and-the-bottlemen-the-balance-review-z707cfvbd|title=Catfish and the Bottlemen: The Balance review |work=The Times |date=26 April 2019 |access-date=27 April 2019 |last=Hodgkinson |first=Will}}

}}

Similar to the band's previous two albums, "The Balance" received mixed reviews with review aggregator Metacritic giving it 53/100 based on 5 reviews. Many criticised the band for not developing their sound from their previous two records, such as Roisin O'Connor from The Independent, who described the band as "meat and potatoes" rock and criticised the band for staying inside the box. Jordan Bassett with NME said that although the band don't do anything different "sometimes the formula just works." Alex Cabré with Dork described Longshot as "a brash and ballsy kick off" however said that following that track McCann "systematically ticks off every cliché in the indie frontman handbook over some of the blandest instrumentals since the last Catfish and the Bottlemen album."

All tracks written by Van McCann

{{Track listing

| title1 = Longshot

| length1 = 3:52

| title2 = Fluctuate

| length2 = 3:12

| title3 = 2all

| length3 = 3:08

| title4 = Conversation

| length4 = 3:31

| title5 = Sidetrack

| length5 = 3:20

| title6 = Encore

| length6 = 2:45

| title7 = Basically

| length7 = 3:21

| title8 = Intermission

| length8 = 1:47

| title9 = Mission

| length9 = 3:43

| title10 = Coincide

| length10 = 3:05

| title11 = Overlap

| length11 = 3:22

| total_length = 35:06

}}

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Catfish and the Bottlemen album|title=The Balance|type=album|award=Gold|certyear=2020|id=15873-3988-2|accessdate=November 20, 2020}}

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Category:2019 albums

Category:Albums produced by Jacknife Lee

Category:Catfish and the Bottlemen albums

Category:Island Records albums