Despite taking a break from music, NEEDTOBREATHE’s latest album comes in strong.

By Melissa Farthing, Copy Editor

It’s been over four years since Christian rock band NEEDTOBREATHE released their last studio album, “Hard Love.” This hiatus was the longest one the band ever took, but thankfully, the wait is now over. This August, NEEDTOBREATHE’s seventh studio album “Out of Body” came out to fans’ delight. Most can agree that this album did not disappoint, including myself.

I’ll admit, I was worried that after taking such a lengthy break from music, the band’s latest effort might be weak, but that’s the farthest from the truth. Instead, “Out of Body” includes some of the band’s most meaningful tracks that were created to reach many people. Each song contains well-written lyrics that entail the struggles the singer has gone through in his life. Many of the words are relatable; I personally connected with the themes of missing childhood and feeling unloved found within the album.

“Out of Body” has a distinct sound; I feel that it is a cross between “Rivers in the Wasteland” and “Hard Love,” musically speaking. There are notes of acoustic guitar and piano but also synthesized beats which give certain songs a more “poppy” tone. While no two songs sound exactly alike, when put together, they design a seamless forty-five minute audio journey that can be listened to anywhere. Many tracks have transitions in between them, so even though they can be enjoyed on their own, they are elevated to a new level when listened to on the album as a whole.

It’s difficult to choose a favorite and least favorite song, as I think they’re all equally good. None feel out of place or significantly better or worse than the others. 

Overall, “Out of Body” is an extremely good album where every track reaches or exceeds the standard that NEEDTOBREATHE has set throughout their nearly twenty year run.