REVIEW: Catch Your Breath - Not Broken Enough
Artist: Catch Your Breath
Album: Not Broken Enough
Label: Thriller Records
Catch Your Breath has been on a steady climb since the release of their hit single, “Dial Tone,” which came from their debut album Shame On Me. The song took on a whole new life through airplay rotation on Sirius XM’s Octane and has amassed over 1 billion streams across multiple platforms. The journey for the band began in 2013, when guitarist Teddy Herrera formed the project under the name Inertia, with fellow producer Curtis Martin. After years of trial and error, the current lineup began to drop their first original music under the new moniker Catch Your Breath in 2017. They built a great local following in the Dallas music scene and began to pique the interest of music industry execs. Their touring history includes stints opening for bands like Breaking Benjamin w/Daughtry, From Ashes to New, The Word Alive, and even got invited for Imminence’s first tour in the US. Their live show is as breathtaking as their music and really is an experience of its own. With the release of Shame On Me, they saw great success with “Dial Tone,” “No Evil” and “21 Gun Salute.” Soon after, they hit the road on their very first headline tour with support from The Funeral Portrait and Archers. When that tour had many dates sell completely out, it was clear that the band was on a trajectory for great success. While they continued to hit the road, they wrote and released a deluxe edition of the album, featuring “Ghost Inside the Shell,” “Good in Goodbye,” and “Perfect World (ft. Ryan Oakes)”, in addition to a stripped back version of “Dial Tone” which has found its own success. It was clear that an identity was there, but still in the infancy stages. So, with one of the most recognizable voices in the post-hardcore scene in Josh Mowery, they set out to cement that identity. Enter Not Broken Enough, the band’s highly-anticipated sophomore album.
The unofficial first single from the album, “Dark,” found its home in fans hearts as a live debut during their headline tour. The song serves as a prequel to “Dial Tone,” sharing a lot of the same themes, lyrically. This song is a representation of where the band’s sound truly begins to solidify itself. It features an emotional, soaring and hook-laden chorus. The instrumentals have their heavy moments, despite the more ballad-like structure of the track. The highlight, though, is when it strips down before it kicks back into the chorus. Some of Catch Your Breath’s best moments are created by these types of build-ups. It’s not hard to see why this particular track has racked up over 17 million streams, making it their 3rd most popular song, behind “Dial Tone” and “Shame On Me.” The band has kept up with TikTok trends and this song, in particular, gained a ton of traction there due to the teaser videos that the band would post of them.
Another major highlight of the album comes in the form of “Gen[inside]” which features producer and up-and-coming alt rock artist, Kami Kehoe. This song is about being unfairly blamed for the mistakes of others and the importance of accountability. Deflection is a sign of a weak mind and lack of accountability ends up hurting everyone around. “What do you do this for? You break everything you touch… blood on all the floor. But you’re holding the gun.” These lyrics in particular really drive home the point of this particular song. Kehoe sings of remaining true to herself and not being willing to change for the demands of someone who always points the blame at anyone but themselves. “A broken world, but not broken enough,” is a reflection of the vicious cycle that is created by this lack of accountability. Musically, I have to say I love how prominently you can hear the bass line. If it were removed or faded into the mix anymore, it wouldn’t feel like the same song and I truly feel it really brings into play how heavy this song is, emotionally.
The album opens up in a very interesting way with “Contaminated.” That is to say that this track, in particular, is far different than what we’ve heard from these guys. Starting off with an acoustic intro, Mowery’s vocals and an effect-heavy repeat of “we’re contaminated.” The drums kick in and suddenly both bassist Cianan Madigan and drummer Onell Hernandez have taken center stage before the electric guitars kick in, just before the second chorus. I think the most memorable part of this song, though, is when Mowery continues to see his vocals climb, steadily higher before it strips back into the final chorus. There is a brief moment where the band stops playing fully and you just hear the clarity of his vocals before the second part kicks in. If anything, though, I think this track explores how strong the band’s songwriting has gotten over the years and is a good representation of that identity explored throughout the themes within this album.
If you thought this album was going to lose the heaviness that we’ve come to love in tracks like “No Evil” and “Cycles,” well you’re in luck because we have “Blood Money!” This song is especially poignant now, with all of the heavy loss we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks. It’s about exploitation, profiting from pain and doing what it takes to reclaim that control from those who are out to laugh at your pain. This track has one of the gnarliest guttural sections from Mowery yet and it really hits home how heavy this track is. Aggressive, in your face and unapologetic… this track is exactly what it sets out to be.
Still, the most brilliant parts of the album shine in the songs that have yet to be released such as “Red Alert,” which will be premiered tomorrow on Octane. This track feels like it has that same “it” formula that “Dial Tone” has and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it blow up in the same way. This track is led heavily by the rhythm and percussion underlying the vocals. This song explores themes of toxicity within a relationship, in the same way that an addict is always chasing that next high. It’s a warning that things aren’t always what they seem and that, sometimes, the darkest of red flags can be overlooked in pursuit of feeling alive. Thematically, this track lichens this feeling to the thrill of an animal on the hunt. This song will undoubtedly be a fan favorite and likely will be very fun for the band to play.
“The Basement” starts as a stripped down, melody-driven track. The brilliant way that it builds into the first chorus and the pay-off you get when it kicks in, might be one of the best examples of just how well they can create those build-and-break moments that every band needs. Vocally, this is one of Mowery’s strongest moments in their discography. The breath control, as he holds out long, high notes repeatedly cannot be understated.
Finally, we come to the album closer “Hollow Dreams.” Even with this being one of the “slowest” songs on the album — at least until it kicks in, it perfectly wraps up this package of emotion, vulnerability and truth-telling that you hear throughout the album. This song is one of the most introspective that the band has written. It’s a relatable track about fighting your demons, never feeling like you’re enough and always feeling like what you’re doing wrong. The acoustic guitar melody underneath the first verse is extremely memorable, as well. Even only hearing the track once at first, I found myself humming it.
Not Broken Enough is a statement of identity for a band that felt like they had none. It is a proclamation that they are born to do this and a reminder that everyone can achieve their dreams, if they persist. Not only is this the strongest collection of art that they have written, but it is going to be the reason that they take their career to the next level. It’s a promise to their fans that they will never compromise who they are, for the things that the industry tells them they should be. Moreover, though, it’s just the beginning of a very bright future for these guys. Not Broken Enough is out this Friday, August 28th, via Thriller Records and can be pre-ordered at the links below! You can hear the album played, in full, on their upcoming Not Broken Enough tour which kicks off October 16th with support from TX2, Arankai and Colorblind!
