By: James Southworth
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
NEEDTOBREATHE is a perfect example of a successful Christian to secular crossover. Right from their first album they've been producing quality pop/rock music with a bit of a country flare that could appeal to a very wide audience with its relatable themes. Their most recent album "Rivers in the Wasteland" showed the boys in better form than ever, sounding at their most raw, vulnerable, and honest. That album was actually what got me into them, as I thought lead singer Bear Rinehart really used his unique voice here in the way it was meant to be used. "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" is to this day my favorite song by them, and the great emotional cuts like "Brother", "Wasteland", and "Difference Maker" are just truly wonderful. It is all around one of the best put together modern rock albums. What's more, the album was made out of a time of trial and tribulation between the three band members, so the record feels all the more sincere and broken, making it an emotional listen with a lot of hope thrown in. Now the band has returned for their newest outing: "Hard Love". And, while it may not be their best work, it still shows the band experimenting and making a pretty good product in the process.
Right from the start you can tell this album is going to be different. The intro "The Mountain, Part 1" really took me by surprise with Bear's distorted vocals and the atmospheric sounds it evoked. It certainly sets the tone for the album: one that is distinctly more poppy than any of their previous works, with less guitar and more synth lines. Now, some will probably not like this change. But, I think that NEEDTOBREATHE keeps enough of their rock sensibilities to make this album sound considerably better than the typical pop album. This can be seen immediately with the extremely catchy and lyrically deep title track. The song sounds like it could belong in the 80's, and that isn't a bad thing at all. You'll find yourself singing along to the chorus pretty quickly. The song also interestingly talks about how a relationship, whether with God or with another person, is never straight forward as complications will always arise, and sometimes we have to accept that a hard love is better than no love at all: "Hold on tight a little longer/What don't kill you makes you stronger/Get back up cause it’s a hard love/You can’t change without a fallout/It’s gonna hurt but don't you slow down/Get back up cause it’s a hard love". "Money and Fame" continues the 80s trend with an interesting addition of horns in the background which makes for a fun listen. There is a strong theme of money and fame not necessarily bringing happiness, which is shown through a parable-like structure: "What do you kids wanna know about now/I found the bottom from the top somehow/Money & fame will bring a man shame/Ain’t no doubt about it". The fun Bear has with his voice makes this song one of the undeniable highlights of the album.
"No Excuses", while sadly short, is the song that feels most comfortably like it could belong on "Rivers in the Wasteland". Bear's vocals really shine through with their raw textures, and the acoustic guitar is great. While the relationship-song about a girl apparently hurting Bear emotionally could be cheesy, the lyrics here feel like they have a weight to them that makes the song a real emotional cut with the simplistic repetition of "There's no excuses for what you're doing". The best song comes in "Happiness", which lives up to its name in its very upbeat sound. From the second the gospel-like vocals came in, I knew I was in for a treat. The sound is a little deceptive, however, as the lyrics are much more dark as Bear talks about needing forgiveness and how he is trying to pursue happiness: "I’ve got dreams that keep me up in the dead of night/Telling me I wasn’t made for the simple life/There’s a light I see but it's far in the distance/I’m asking you to show me some forgiveness/It’s all for you in my pursuit of happiness". The dichotomy between sound and lyricism is clever, and still by the end of the song, it's implied that Bear has found happiness, making the song a touching redemption story as well. How could one honestly not get behind this gem? To me, this is easily one of the best songs this group has made to date.
"Be Here Long" has some good pop rock sensibilities while Bear ponders his own mortality through talking to his wife. It makes for a bittersweet listen, as he discusses how he hopes his wife knows that he loved her with everything he had for the relatively short time they were together. But still, the tonality of the song gives the listener a feeling that Bear and the band have a mature solace in their mortality because of their relationship with God, which feels very present particularly in this song. "Don't Bring that Trouble", while not particularly deep in lyrics, still is a fun, upbeat rock song which I know will work well in a live setting. "Let's Stay Home Tonight", on the other hand, might raise problems in regard to lyrical content. It is probably one of the more sexually provocative songs to come out of a Christian band, but in the way it is done, it feels more romantic and touching than it does inappropriate: "I know you wanna get dressed up/But I know who you are girl/There ain’t no need for makeup/Cause you’re my angel/I don’t wanna share you/So why don’t we just slow down/See where it can take us" It's refreshing to see a song about sex where the individual is honoring their partner as more than just an object, rather a woman (or man) who they truly care about and want to have a deep-set relationship with. Bear perfectly navigates those subtleties, making this song another highlight for me.
All the songs I've mentioned are definitely great songs, but "Hard Love" is an album that isn't without weaknesses. "When I Sing" has these little repeated "oohs" that are just annoying. Lyrically the song is a cliched mess in which Bear is talking about his wife being the reason he sings. "Great Night", while being an upbeat song that could work well in a live setting, ultimately feels pretty dry with no real lyrical content to chew on. It's just a partying song, and if that's your thing, then you're gonna enjoy this song. But I know NEEDTOBREATHE is capable of creating better fun songs than this one, which simply gets lost in the mass of other songs like it. "Testify" is definitely the weakest track for me. It checks every single box of your typical CCM radio-friendly song, from the boring poppy sound with hardly any variation, to the boring lyrics that I've heard variations of form other bands: "Give me your heart/Give me your song/Sing it with all your might/Come to the fountain/You can be satisfied/There is a peace, there is a love/You can get lost inside/Come to the fountain/Let me hear you testify" Even Bear's vocals can't save this song; in fact he ultimately sounds pretty passionless for the most part. "Clear", while sounding good, ultimately overstays its welcome, being almost seven minutes long. The subject of the song, which is basically a big love song for Bear's wife, does not justify the length for me(I have no doubt his wife appreciates it!). The lyrics to this one were the ones that made me a little uncomfortable, as I thought for a while that Bear was talking about God, but then the chorus says "baby", so I knew that wasn't the case. But the lyrics verge on Bear almost praising/idolizing his wife, which was a bit problematic.
"Hard Love" is probably NEEDTOBREATHE's weakest effort to date, but when the effort still sounds better than most popular albums out this year, one cannot really complain. I honestly commend the boys for experimenting with pop on this album, as more times than not it truly works. The guitars might sound more processed than I would've wanted, and maybe the album didn't have the raw sound of "Rivers in the Wasteland", but that doesn't make the work bad. I would totally recommend giving this a listen, as there are a lot of tunes on here that will make for a fun summer album!
Favorite Songs: "Happiness", "Let's Stay Home Tonight", "Money and Fame", "No Excuses", "Don't Bring that Trouble"
Least Favorite Songs: "Testify", "Great Night", "When I Sing", "Clear"
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