The melodic Brit-influenced alt-rock sound of Needtobreathe is heavily laden with fat hooks, innovative guitars, and positivity, reminiscent of recent tour-mates Switchfoot. Where they fall short of the majesty of Switchfoot is in their lyrical expression. And stop short is a pretty accurate description. While they have poetic moments, and they definitely express optimism and even occasionally encouragement, they stop just short of direction. And I’m not asking for an overt Jesus every other measure. But where Switchfoot poses a question for the listener’s consideration, the hints offered by Needtobreathe only become confusing, and eventually, somewhat frustrating. That being said, I have only compliments for their airy, well-produced musicality.
Brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart co-write, and a more interesting pair of sibling musicians may be hard to find. Bear is a former football hero; Bo acts (“Radio”), but both are music-lovers first. Together they come up with tight rock arrangements offered up with the grand flourish of Bear’s dynamic vocal skills. Drummer Joe Stillwell provides a solid foundation of monster percussion, and bassist Seth Bolt adds his recent degree in recording engineering to a pot that will be hard to beat. Bear shares of brother Bo’s playing, “He does some weird things on the guitar. He picks up rather than down, which is really bizarre. It’s a big part of our sound: two guitars doing thing differently, but working together.” (Existential question: do the collectively fascinating names of these four musicians predispose them to rock greatness?)
The guitars do, indeed, have much to do with the appeal of Needtobreathe, their sonic delights fat on just about every “Daylight” track. “Shine On” is the obvious first mention, with its addictive chorus and tight rhythm section. These guys major in hooks and guitar treats, scattering them richly on almost every track, but most noticeably on the exuberant “You Are Here,” the thickly percussive “Knew It All”, and the airy spaciousness of “Don’t Leave Just Yet.” Speaking of airy, the Needtobreathe boys cobble together melodies that soar above the stratosphere of most radio fare. “Lost” all but flies out of the speakers, its sweet guitar noodling just entrancing.
There is so much to love about “Daylight” that you can only hope that Needtobreathe will settle in for a nice long stay with us.
