NEEDTOBREATHE has been a band for more than 20 years, and their two decades-plus of experience shines through on “CAVES,” the rock outfit’s 9th studio recording and first LP independent of a label. Taking the unparalleled musicianship they’ve skillfully perfected into the studio, Bear Rinehart, Seth Bolt, Josh Lovelace, Randall Harris and Tyler Burkum holed up in picturesque rentals in both Utah and Minnesota in the middle of winter to craft their most sonically diverse release to date.
While they like to refer to themselves as a “rock ’n’ roll band from South Carolina” — regularly skirting categorization — NEEDTOBREATHE has always been difficult to peg. Living in both the mainstream music world and the Christian space has given them the freedom to experiment with their sound and lyrical direction to the point that, by now, they know unapologetically who they are…and who they aren’t. And on “CAVES,” the self-proclaimed “outsiders” are authentically themselves, merging everything fans have come to love about this band into one 11-song opus.
RELATED CONTENT: NEEDTOBREATHE and Maverick City Music Offer a Safe Place to Land on ‘Fall On Me’
The unabashed rock of their early days intersects with the left-of-center pop they’ve so carefully honed in recent years. Meanwhile, their country leanings become more apparent than ever before alongside the consistent Gospel sounds of their youth they can’t quite seem to shake.
While the album’s predecessors, “Into The Mystery” and “Out of Body,” hinted at Nashville’s subtle sway on the group, “CAVES” affirms Music City has definitively made its way into the band’s DNA.
Since Rinehart moved his family here half a dozen years ago from his native South Carolina, and especially since his brother, Bo, exited in 2020, the lead singer and primary lyricist for the group has expanded his writing pool, collaborating with some of Music Row’s best and brightest. In addition to his bandmates, the credits reveal Josh Kerr, Dave Barnes, Trent Dabbs, Jordan Reynolds and John-Luke Cater to be among the names of those who contributed to the GRAMMY®-nominated band’s latest effort.
But it isn’t just the songwriting credits that prove NEEDTOBREATHE has found a welcome home in Nashville. Award-winning country artists Carly Pearce and Old Dominion also appear on the record. Pearce joins the band on tear-inducing, piano-led “Fall On Me,” a song Rinehart penned with Jason Ingram and Steven Furtick. An ode to the beautiful tension of parenthood, the frontman wrote the moving ballad as a letter of unconditional love to his own three sons. NEEDTOBREATHE recently released a fresh version of the single featuring Maverick City Music, which transforms the track into a worshipful prayer and paints our heavenly Father as a refuge of comfort and safety.
Meanwhile, Old Dominion shows up on “Wasting Time,” complete with a full-on jam session that’s quickly become a show-stopping number on the band’s global tour.
Pearce and Old Dominion aren’t the album’s only guests, however. In fact, “CAVES” boasts more collaborations in a single release than any of NEEDTOBREATHE’s previous records. Tourmate Judah & The Lion makes a prominent cameo on anchor selection “Dreams,” a pop duet dedicated to the faithful fans who have made their collective dreams come true, and another highlight live. Additionally, acclaimed Irish folk singer Foy Vance guests on “Temporary Tears,” a moody, Gospel-inflected glimpse into heaven that serves as the perfect album closer.
RELATED CONTENT: Faith Behind The Song: 'Fall On Me' NEEDTOBREATHE feat. Maverick City Music
From a sonic standpoint, there’s a little something from every NEEDTOBREATHE era represented on the eclectic LP. Title-cut and opening track “The Cave” is reminiscent of the dark tones and tight guitar riffs that defined “The Reckoning.” “Everknown” checks the massive arena-ready anthem box with meaningful lyrics that will instantly make listeners wistful for loved ones gone too soon.
The interesting musical trajectory of “Hideaway” blends the group’s pop perfection with their penchant for acoustic melodies, undergirded by a rare and unexpected falsetto from Rinehart. Elsewhere, the best attributes of NEEDTOBREATHE converge on crown jewel “When You Forgive Someone.” With its nuanced musical textures, harmonica solo and thoughtful lyricism, the track is easily one of the record’s best. It’s bridge could arguably be a worship chorus, hands raised in complete surrender as Rinehart’s full grit embraces the weight of his words: “All that’s heavy on my soul. Lay it down and let it go.”
Later, themes of forgiveness resurface on the easily overlooked “Reaching Out To Find You,” perhaps a message quietly reserved for Rinehart’s brother.
Try to size “CAVES” up lyrically and musically, and you’ll have trouble. On the whole, there’s far too much faith to file it under secular pop offering and too much rock to call it a country album. While Nashville’s rising influence on the band is hard to ignore, this project simply continues to prove NEEDTOBREATHE can’t be put in a box. All in all, “CAVES” plays out like a “best of” collection, giving fans exactly what they want: carefree, dance-worthy tracks tailor-made for their buzzworthy live shows, introspective moments of lyrical brilliance, and more heart than one album can possibly hold.
Catch NEEDTOBREATHE live this spring when the “The CAVES World Tour” resumes Apr. 25, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C.
