Breathing Blue – Self Titled

Breathing Blue is yet another up and coming New Jersey pop punk act.  I don’t know what’s in the water out there, but something big is brewing and everyone wants to be a part.  However, this five piece shows evidence of distancing themselves from the growing masses.  While Breathing Blue certainly fits the current pop punk revival of those looking to The Starting Line for inspiration, they also aren’t ashamed from looking to more recent trends like those defining From First To Last.  Their dual agenda is a lofty ambition, but unfortunately, also one that largely misses the mark.

For starters, vocalist Justin Sanford has a piercing disposition that lands somewhere between The Used, My Chemical Romance, and Billy Talent.  There’s also a hint of 90’s rock in there somewhere akin to Filter, but it’s more in spirit than in execution.  Taken together, Sanford comes across as a quivering vibrato with a snotty, youthful attitude.  But despite hitting each note with a tight precision, his steadfast wail comes across prescribed and without conviction.  On tracks like “Star In The West” Sanford never adjusts his inflection, making his high pitch grating rather than uplifting.

It’s not until the bonus track, “Sparkle,” that Breathing Blue tunes into the group’s potential.  Sanford is far from the only offender in the group, with his band mates largely matching his skillful repetition with onerous riffs and tiresome melodies.  Tracks like “Roads” hint at a few interesting spurts of backing vocals, but never truly realize their potential.  But then there’s “Sparkle,” a three-minute excursion in whichBreathing Blue looks to their experimental side.  Suddenly repetitious passages glimmer and fade with a loitering ambience, and Sanford finally tones himself down, proving quite competent beyond his conventional comfort zone.

Had the entire EP followed “Sparkle”’s lead, I would have been quite receptive to Breathing Blue.  As it stands now, I was lucky to even make it to the bonus track, and I would be surprised to learn if most listeners hadn’t tuned out mid-album.  Pop punk is supposed to be fun, but most of Breathing Blue just feels tiresome.  Fortunately the group is still in their infancy, meaning they still have time to refine their mechanics and learn from their lone success.  Here’s to hoping that future releases capitalize on their latent potential.