BREATHS - The Elders (Track/Music Video Premiere)

Alright. At this stage, we should just change our name from Sleeping Village Reviews to, I dunno, the Breaths Premiere Access Channel.
Indeed, eagle-eyed readers will undoubtedly remember our coverage of this one-man dynamo's output in the past: we premiered not one but two tracks from Breaths' stunning debut. Both "Lined In Silver" and "The Forgotten Ones" were exceedingly worthy of a lil' love from our scriberly staff, and today's track in question is no exception. Indeed, it may be one of my favorite Breaths efforts to date, and, given how fuckin' good Lined In Silver is across its mighty breadth, that's saying something. And to top it off, this banger comes with a sweet video to boot.

Can it get any better? No, sayeth this slumbering scribe. Anyways: as always, we're honored and privileged to share Jason's killer work. Check out "The Elders" below, and, as always, we'll catch ye on the other side. Enjoy!

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​As with many Breaths tracks, "The Elders" is lyrically and thematically grounded in familial roots. Frankly, this is one aspect that continually draws me back to Jason's songwriting--everything feels deeply personal and reflective, and, as such, carries itself with a very humanistic aura. This track, which conceptually focuses on the loss of his grandparents and the subsequent impact, is autobiographical in a stripped-down sense, eschewing braggadocio or a grandiose narrative, opting instead for something a little more honest and down-to-earth. The lyrics are personal and heartfelt, and, like unto the best of the Breaths catalog, nails that beautiful balancing act between aggressive and gentle expression. The visual format of the music video--family photos--only serves to reinforce the real-life nature of the piece.

Sonically, this beast is a hefty affair, leaning into the more metallic influences that routinely crop up across Lined In Silver. That said, the pace is slow-burning and methodical, almost doomy in its deliberate procession. As always, the lighter vocals lend a sweet flair without dousing the entire affair in sickly syrup, and the heaviest moments always manage to inject a subtle groove and a little light-footed bounce. It is somber but not overwhelmingly sad, and the complex stew of emotions "The Elders" presents is intensely relatable. As a result of said relatability, which routinely appears, I often tear up when listening to Breaths. The ability to punch a particular emotive cluster is a true strength, to say the least. This track certainly serves to continue the trend.

Says the artist in regards to this track: "The song is about the loss of all my grandparents starting pretty early (age 3) and into my early 20's. I was really close to my grandmother who died of cancer when I was 8. The video shows old family footage of my grandparents and other family members (a few shots of me too as a kid). It fits into the larger album concept, being that the new album is essentially my origin story until now. Songs deal with individual traumatic experiences as well as things I'm thankful for."
 
Breaths - The Elders will be appearing on a forthcoming second album, and will be available as a single on Aug. 13th.

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