The debut album from Jason Roberts’ pandemic passion project Breaths addressed the myriad fears and anxieties running through its creator’s mind as Covid continued to ravage the planet. Lined In Silver dropped back in March. The situation now isn’t a whole lot brighter, but there’s a sense of unspoken optimism that seems to have settled since the new year came in. Maybe Omicron is the start of Covid entering its endemic phase, maybe the world will finally be able to open back up, and maybe Boris’ repeated public failures are the start of the end of over a decade of Tory rule. Maybe. Maybe none of that happens. But even if it doesn’t, there’s a sense now that whatever happens, we’re equipped to cope.
It’s in this landscape that Breaths’ music appears to make even more sense than it did the first time around. Lined In Silver expressed a sense of isolation and claustrophobia through thunderous percussion and guitars that drifted from doomy aggression to more elegant post-rock pondering, and its predecessor does the same, but there’s something inherently hopeful about a majestic post-rock crescendo, no matter how intense.
The album drops tomorrow but we’re thrilled to be bringing you an exclusive stream today, so check it out below before heading to the Bandcamp page to pick up a download, CD or exclusive tape.
Though life… is out 21st January through Trepanation Recordings. Order here.
Words: George Parr
