Beautiful in that Undefinable way.

I was surprised to read in a book written by the drummer how the band had a difficult time while recording some of this album in New Orleans. It isn't only a unique Midnight Oil album and my favorite of theirs by far, but a unique album. For me, the impact that the tracks have on me shifts (sometimes "Home" and "E-beat" sometimes the first two)as the ones that affect me most deeply change from time to time. It is never the same way twice whenever I play it; it feels like it's always in flux, and has a remarkable afterglow that lingers when I'm done hearing it. IT gradually grew on me in that weird way where the sound and lyrics of each song crept up into my consciousness, and before I realized it, I found that it blew me away. Only two or three other CDs have ever given me this sensation.

Different face of Midnight oil

Before i bought "breathe" i heard many reviews saying that this is propably their weakest album,that it is too mellow and quite boring...But i bought it finally.After first listening i not impressed but it remained quite good album.and with each new listening it became more rich,deep,interesting.
"breathe" is definitly another extremely solid Midnight oil album.These guys are doing very rarely something weak.this album has different sound,raw and dirty.It is an alternative to complex and polish sound of "diesel and dust" and "Blue sky mine". Songs like "Bring on the change","Sins of ommision" and "star of hope" are sinister and full of rocking distorted guitars that were absent on some of their previous releases.
"breathe" features a lot of gems. My favourite tracks are "barest deegree","E-Beat","Underwater" (this one has great bass riff) and absolutely stunning "in the rain" that is one of the darkest Midnight oil songs.
What can i add more,in my opinion this is one of the most Interesting band's work,Peter Garret and his company bring out more experimental sound with a lot of stunning melodies.Give this album a chance.It will grow on you,once you love it you will listen to it all the time. I loved it. "breathe" definitly deserved 5 stars

Different, but still good

Following the album Earth and Sun and Moon, Breathe shows the band moving in a different direction. The most striking change is the mixing production and dynamics. Whereas E&S&M is a very sparkling and energetic album, Breathe is laidback and toned down. The production is almost raw, with the drums and bass sounding a bit hoarse. The guitars are unusually low in the mix, and not even mixed in stereo (like normal). The guitars are in the background, with lots of reverb and effects for coloring and atmosphere. So the vocals, bass, and drums are out front.

The band was obviously influenced by musician Daniel Lanois. The colorings and moods that he brought to U2's Joshua Tree and Emmylou Harris' album Wrecking Ball show up on Breathe too. And to further that approach, Emmylou herself even shows up on the album; singing harmony with Peter Garrett on the song Home.

Many of the songs have a relaxed, almost folk quality to them. The drums are kept simple most of the time, making it not even sound like Rob Hirst. There are a couple of heavier songs on the album though, for balance. The heaviest and best song on the album is Bring on the Change. That best captures the usual MO energy. Sins of Omission is also heavy, but slower. Other good and noteworthy songs on the album are Underwater, Surf's Up Tonight, Star of Hope, and the instrumental closer Gravelrash.

Though there aren't really any standout tracks on this album, it's still good as to consistency. Whereas some albums have an unbalanced mixture of strong songs and weak songs worth skipping (i.e. Red Sails), Breathe has a balanced flow of songs that work together as a package. Overall, I'd even give this a better rating than 10-9-8-7, though the production and sound quality is nowhere as good as that earlier album.

Don't expect the usual guitar, drums, and vocals intensity for this one. Breathe stands on its own terms, and should be appreciated for its own unique qualities.