ALBUM REVIEW: Breathe With Strangers – Dead Reynolds

The British rock scene has been enjoying an underground revival as of late. With live shows starting up, bands can finally promote their lockdown material. One band relishing in this is DEAD REYNOLDS as they release their anticipated debut, Breathe With Strangers, on September 17th. Formed in East Anglia, the alt-rock five-piece grace us with 12 tracks which explore the human condition and its toxic traits. Countering this at times dark content with bright guitars and upbeat rhythms, Breathe With Strangers serves as the thin veil between outer presentation and the core of a person’s issues.

“Broken bones are all we’re left with again” they brood against the backdrop of I Tried’s trickling guitars. The opening track is quick to demonstrate DEAD REYNOLDS’ ability to write catchy hooks. It’s these small earworms which develop into their trademark massive choruses. To the point, I Tried’s final stripped back chorus sends us through a loop with a showcase of vulnerability.

Vulnerability is at the forefront for DEAD REYNOLDS. Taking the past two years into consideration, feelings of depression, resentment, and listlessness we may have experienced anyway have been exacerbated. While Lines may sound like an upbeat punk rock song, the harsh nature of its tone make it anything but buoyant. Ringing guitars at the end of each verse line mimic the ambiguity of “falling apart” to the beat of a bouncing bass. The role the bass has to play within the album becomes especially interesting in the desperate Uninspired. Its low hum drives the song forward in a broiling contempt for a self-serving subject. In doing this however, it seems to diminish other factors, as the solo feels far too short.

The scale tips back towards balance with songs like Dust, where a wall of guitars slog us in tandem with a frantic bounce. As the song develops, DEAD REYNOLDS take the time to construct their idea of tinged nostalgia. Low-tuned guitars bloom into brightness as if taken over by the rose-tint. Yet reality strikes with the bubbling darkness coming to a boil in the breakdown beneath a deceivingly light solo.

For those under the impression Breathe With Strangers is an exercise in rumination to soaring guitars and massive drums, the assumption is only half right. Up All Night, a yarn of feeling drained by an energy vampire, is 90% acoustic in composition. This move brings about a wonderful change in pace and grabs our attention. With harmonies allowed to steep in themselves, the concept hits a lot harder as the subtle buzz of electric guitar slips into our ears.

The human condition and its various nuances are tough nuts to crack. Exploring the ever shifting sphere in terms of emotions can often lead to muddiness or confusion. DEAD REYNOLDS stumble into this trap on a couple of occasions, but these are small teething problems in the grand scheme of things. Breathe With Strangers is a great debut from a gem of the underground scene.

Rating: 7/10

Breathing With Strangers is set for release on September 17th via Fort Records.

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