Breathe Electric - Honestly
Record Label: None
Release Date: August 12, 2008
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Max Bemis of Say Anything, grabbed the mic from Luis of The Secret Handshake and decided to spear his own brand of electronic/dance/rock? Well, if you have, then you might have imagined something along the lines of Breathe Electric's debut album Honestly.
Honestly is filled to the brim with fast tempos and infectious beats that leave a sweet taste in your mouth, never bitter. Grant Harris, the core of Breathe Electric, pulls off the autotuned vocals while brandishing somewhat of a punk edge in his tunes. Melding these two genres, of strongly-sung punk and breakneck power-pop beats, creates a very strong and easy-to-digest album filled with surprises time after time. With strong production, even within the beats you may be able to catch little additions and instrumentations, which makes listening so much more enjoyable.
One of the strongest tracks on the album is "The Average," starting off with a simple piano note, the beat comes in and draws the listener into the majesty that is Breathe Electric. Using this song as a starting point, it seems that Harris has the basis for being able to write a great hook and a friendly chorus that could be ready for radio everywhere in a short amount of time.
Nearing the end of the album, we see a little soul bearing from Breathe Electric, in the form of the album's title track, which creates a serene ballad. This track compliments everything Grant Harris is able to do, we finally see a little bit of his real voice, without the autotune and all. As well as one of the strongest beats on the album, as well as powerful lyrics which shows more maturity then the innocence that plagues the earlier part of the album.
Breathe Electric has a lot more growing up to do, but it's safe to say that in time, they can only get better. Not being afraid to try different things is something that will benefit this group in their future. And although Harris' vocals may be more suitable in a pop-punk band, I think he's poised to change things in music if he keeps dabbling with electronic like he's doing. Although the lyrics aren't always the best, they interchange hook with meaning well enough. The beats are fun, while sticking out, and the vocals are catchy, whilst being different for this genre.
I lolled at the beginning because when you said "Have you ever wondered what would happen if Max Bemis of Say Anything, grabbed the mic from Luis of The Secret Handshake and decided to spear his own brand of electronic/dance/rock?" I thought...Max Bemis + Secret Handshake = Secret Handshake. Max and Luis look identical and Luis's lyrics are almost as honest as Max's.
I agree with your feeling that Grant's voice would be better suited for a pop-punk band.
Breathe Electric > Breathe Carolina
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