It’s always interesting to hear
what artists and bands do when they take on solo projects or when they combine
forces with other musicians from different bands. In this case, it is multi-instrumentalist
Jason Roberts whose solo project Breaths has evolved into a mesmerizing ambient/doomgaze
instrumental album. In the second portion of this review, I’ll discuss his
other band, Roseneath, a grunge/shoegaze duo with Brian George on guitar and
bass.
Breaths had released two albums
prior to this upcoming soundtrack for the mind titled Isolera which comes out on June 3rd. This release is a
much different one being that it is devoid of vocals and much quieter and
accessible than its two predecessors. Roberts does it all here: guitar, bass,
programming, engineering, mixing, mastering, etc. It reminds me a lot of Nine
Inch Nails’ instrumental output and Trent Reznor’s collaborations with Atticus
Ross on soundtracks like The Social Network
and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Divided into four movements, it’s an immersive sonic journey for the duration
of its 36 minutes. “Movement I” is the lengthiest piece running at 17 minutes and
it lays the foundation for what follows, building from quiet to melodically noisy.
“Movement II” is another subdued track segueing into “Movement III” which is more
dynamic and adds percussion and strings to the mix. The motif concludes with “Movement
IV” coming full circle. This is an album I’ve already gone back to quite a few
times and will continue to revisit often while writing, relaxing, or just as
background music while I do chores around the house.
Roseneath is a completely different
experience and wears its ‘90s influences on its sleeve. The 5-song EP titled Shine will see the light of day on July
15th. Fans of Nirvana and the Deftones will rejoice at hearing this catchy
record which goes down easy like a cold beer on a hot summer day. “Blurred &
Bent”, arguably my favorite track here, has cool Nirvana vibes. “By a Thread”
has an infectious chorus. “Say Never” is a great ballad. “Chasing Ghosts” is a
head-bobbing tune with driving guitars. And the title track, “Shine”, is
slower-paced and leaves you wishing there were more songs and that the album
would keep going.
Mark your calendars for two terrific,
very diverse sleeper albums to kick-off your summer in style. Jason Roberts is
clearly a very talented musician/songwriter and whether he is helming Breaths
or as one half of the lighter fare of Roseneath, he has something for everyone.
Both Isolera and Shine come highly recommended by your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M.,
so have no fear and pre-order your copies today!
Breaths on Bandcamp: https://breaths.bandcamp.com/album/isolera
Roseneath on Bandcamp: https://roseneath.bandcamp.com/album/shine
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