Save Your Breath is a melodic entity hailing from South Wales that embodies the spirit of putting together heartfelt and passionate music. Drawing inspiration from pop punk torchbearers the likes New Found Glory, Green Day and Lifetime, this is a group that has been around the block for quite sometime with a simple message: gaining new perspectives from the company of friends and family, along with embracing the grace of new life experiences. This perspective can be grasped through giving their newest release, There Used To Be A Place For Us a listen. Continuing to push higher boundaries since the release of their first full-length, Vices, there is no doubt that Save Your Breath have put together a defining and progressive sound that immediately fits their persona.
The first single of this record, "Lessons", is an interesting song to get into to set things off. Comparable to the other songs on this release, "Lessons" definitely has a heavier undertone, which catches listeners' surprise with a dreary loud and soft chord progression. Transitioning into the next song, "Whole", listeners are in for a treat with a spontaneous and upbeat sound that naturally compliments the rest of the record. A few other standalone tracks on this record, including "Maps", "Harrow Road", "The World Is Yours" and "Touchpaper", are songs that represent the passion and enthusiasm of putting together a traditional melodic pop-punk record.
One characteristic that stands alone from this record is that each song reflect upon different life experiences. With these traits in mind, there are a couple of interluding tracks on There Used To Be A Place For Us that solemnly touches upon the band's personal experiences, which gives the listeners the opportunity to peer through the mindset of each song, while interpreting its meaning in perspective.
Both "Skin And Bones" and the title track, "There Used To Be A Place For Us", enlighten listeners with hopeful insight to grasp when facing your mind is clouded with doubt. "Skin And Bones", for instance, is a song that provides listeners with calming advice to keep their priorities in perspective with the lines, "It all comes down to the promises you make, and the words you use to save yourself". While "There Used To Be A Place For Us" closes the record with a proper send-off through a dreary melody that recollects heart-wrenching traits that show resemblance to any given track off of Brand New's The Devil And God..., this song however leaves listeners with a repetitive, yet haunting line, "You are what you make yourself", to perceive when reflecting upon self-discovery.
From start to end, There Used To Be A Place For Us is a record that truly provides a sense of perspective when taking into account experiences that have helped the group develop socially and mentally as musicians and as human beings. The progression of the band definitely goes to show the amount of intensity and passion that accounted for when putting together a heartfelt release. At times, this is more than just a record filled with upbeat songs and relate able lines. There Used To Be A Place For Us is definitely a milestone record for Save Your Breath, that helps listeners re-evaluate their lives with a clear perspective of what life has to offer down the road.
Tracklist:
1. Lessons
2. Whole
3. Maps
4. Harrow Road
5. Skin And Bones
6. Abandon
7. Find A Way
8. The World Is Yours
9. Airs & Graces
10. Touchpaper
11. There Used To Be A Place For Us
RIYL: All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion by Fireworks, Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going To Be A Better Person by Misser, The Kids Can't Lose by A Loss For Words, Mirrors by Maker
Rating:
More reviews by Ryan McGrath
