Breathe Carolina: "Savages"

The new Breathe Carolina cd “Savages” just came out. A warning: this is not a clean cd.

If you’ve never listened to Breathe Carolina they are like Deadmou5 meets Dance Gavin Dance. Post-hardcore electronic (though this cd employs less screaming vocals and leans closer to the techno side than their former songs). They aren’t in my top 25 bands, but they are fun to listen to and their sound is perfect for driving/exercising. I really liked their sophomore album so I was excited for this release.

I give the vocals on this cd 8/11. Lead singer David Schmitt brings a weird mash-up of intensity, aggression, sensuality, and rowdiness that just works with Breathe Carolina’s wild sound. BC also brings in the amazing Tyler Carter for the song “Chasing Hearts,” which is one of my favorites.  On the musical side I give this one a 5/11—it’s a lot of electronic effects and that’s not really my thing, but it works for Breathe Carolina.  But the songs are super catchy, and I’ve had “Savages” stuck in my head all day.

I wasn’t a fan of every song on this cd, but the tracks that caught my attention were “Bury Me,” “Savages,” “Chasing Hearts,” and “Mistakes.” I was a little disappointed that with this cd BC has gotten more punk and less hardcore—a trend that a lot of bands I like are following (Broadway and Sleeping with Sirens being the most obvious).

In the end I think I have to give “Savages” a 6/11. There weren’t enough distinct tracks, and there wasn’t really any redeeming value in the music. It’s still fun, and I will definitely be listening to the four tracks I mentioned above for a while now, but it didn’t change the way I think about Breathe Carolina.