New Music Review: NeedToBreathe
The faith-fueled rock band NeedToBreathe has added to its catalog a new set of songs which come from a time of transition for the band members.
The group – anchored by brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart (sons of a pastor from Possum Kingdom, S.C.) – emerged from a chaotic period which saw the uneasy exit of their drummer and strained relationships all around.
Now, three years since their last project, a new theme emerged.
“We needed to write songs about the rivers that brought us out of the wasteland,” said Bear Rinehart in a recent interview.
“Our faith was the only reason that we were able to start a new record.”
“The Heart” has been among the first of the tunes the band has performed live from the new CD. Although raucous in sound, a sense of hope underscores the lyric. Already on Christian radio is
“Multiply,” a prayerful plea that says, “May this offering stretch across the skies and these Hallelujahs be multiplied.
Across their Southern rock milieu, the players simplified their approach for this album, with 90 percent of it recorded in live takes rather than the super-production in earlier efforts.
The new song “Difference Maker” embodies the newer sound.
The band doesn’t change its approach no matter the concert venue. NeedToBreathe headlined the Unity Christian Music Festival in 2012, a year after opening a concert for country star Taylor Swift in Van Andel Arena.
NeedToBreathe performs June 21 at Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. The concert is sold out.
Just the Facts:
Artist: NeedToBreathe
Title: “Rivers In The Wasteland”
Connect: www.needtobreathe.com