The Johnsonian

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment

While debut albums are what leave first impressions, sophomore albums are a testament to what artists strive to accomplish.

For the Seneca, S.C. based band Needtobreathe, their sophomore album is making a powerful statement: by observing your evolving musical elements you can showcase your ability to inspire those who listen to your music.

Brothers Bear (vocals, guitar, piano) and Bo (guitar, backing vocals) Rinehart, Joe Stillwell (drums) and Seth Bolt (bass, backing vocals) are all life-long friends from South Carolina that formed the band during Bear Rinehart's freshman year of college. All in their middle to late twenties now, Needtobreathe have evolved into a band that literally put their heart and soul into every song.

As opposed to their first national release, "Daylight", that was recorded in six weeks, Needtobreathe spent six months in the studio recording "The Heat." Produced by Rick Beato and Ed Roland, Needtobreathe released "The Heat" with hopes that their fan base will recognize the maturity in their musical dedication over the past year. According to Bear, writing songs can be a painstaking process.

"I'm very proud of the new record…we've grown up a lot. We're more ourselves and we've gained confidence," Rinehart said. "The album musically leaps bounds and is lyrically grown up."

Signed to Atlantic records, Needtobreathe released their second studio album, "The Heat" on Aug. 28th. A brilliantly powerful follow-up to their first release, "Daylight," "The Heat" showcases their diverse musical roots and influences and their eagerness to write powerful music.

"Each individual of the band brings their own sound," Rinehart said.

Aimed for a soulfulness sound (think Joe Crocker and Otis Redding) by Bear, blended with Bo's euro-pop ambient interests, Joe's straight rock rhythms (think Pearl Jam) and Seth's wide range of programmed and organic popish beats, "The Heat" mixes together unique flare that only passion driven musicians could pull together.

Urging their listeners to "break their heart and put it back again," the intro track on "The Heat" sets a powerful tone for the rest of the album. Followed by the rhythmic entrancing "Restless" and an emotionally vocal filled song "Again", the band show off their emotional rocker persona.

Rinehart's ability to showcase his passion towards music in his haunting lyrics are evident in the track "Return" in which the songs first recording was used as the track on the album. Elegant use of simplistic guitar in the beginning of the track for "We Could Run Away" and a blend of passionate rhythms in "Streets of Gold" allows listeners to escape in a whirlwind of emotions that release a sense of freedom.

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