"Just Breathe" by Daydreams

Happy Birthday!  Well it probably isn't yours today but it is that of Faith from Daydreams & to celebrate,  she & Joseph have released their second single, "Just Breathe" (a follow-up to debut "Map to No Place").

There are I suppose a number of cues to what it might sound like before you have even heard it: the title, the artwork & the precedent of the earlier track strongly suggest something more ethereal and unbounded by the pull of the planet too much.

And you'd be pretty much right.

Once again, these two members of Permanent Daylight have correctly identified one of their songs which merits that lighter touch and taken it down the gentler road.

I'm not sure how much they are channelling a late 60's vibe but as with their debut, I hear echoes: the backing reminds me of "Everybody's Talkin'" somewhat and it's good to come across musicians in tune with that period when simpler acoustic arrangements underpinned lyrics of adult reflection & nuance & allowed the song centre stage.

Considering that one of the singles from their other band was called "Bittersweet", you know that they don't deal in trite platitudes but seem to prefer songs of duality where often opposed emotions are explored & balances sought. This may be out on a birthday but it's not really a party record but instead deals with ideas worth considering every day of the year: ones which are timeless and long explored by musicians and artists in other media across cultures & centuries.

The confessional tone of the words are matched in emotional courage by the whole arrangement: this is wearing your heart on your sleeve and not providing anything to hide behind on the record. It takes some bravery to strip yourself off this much in terms of what you are singing about & how you are performing, but the confidence they have in themselves to do so is evidenced in the restraint of "Just Breathe": and that simply adds to the sense of truth & charm.