Review Summary: An underrated rock classic in every regard.
Lots of bands get stuck in limbo, it happens. Some of these bands reach a dead-end because they are genuinely terrible, but other bands that get sidelined are genuinely intriguing and unique... such as this band, Revis, and their sole album Places for Breathing. The lead single, and album opener, "Caught in the Rain" generated a decent following on rock radio stations in the early 2000s, and was even featured on the soundtrack for the 2003 superhero film Daredevil. But that wasn't enough to keep the behind-the-scenes trouble at bay, which included later legal battles they endured while attempting to release a sophomore record. While they did manage to release a few songs as digital singles over iTunes and other such sites, the second album itself collapsed because of these legal battles and the band has since evaporated from the public and music scene alike ever since. What a shame, especially when reflecting on how strong this album truly was and still is.
1) "Caught in the Rain"
A great way to start. With a sturdy structure and an emotionally-charged chorus, this song was bound to become a big radio hit and, while it wasn't huge, it did well enough for itself that it helped in boosting the album's sales over its stay on the mainstream rock charts back in 2003. The music video is interesting, nothing special, just the basics with footage of the band performing, but it was directed by the same man who worked on Incubus' "Pardon Me" and Rage Against the Machine's "Renegades of Funk" music videos (two songs that were huge back in the day). Nothing much more can be said about the song, it firmly stands on its own two feet and is loaded with pathos, compassion and fuelled by endless charisma (especially on the part of the vocalist, Justin Holman, who's voice could be described as a brilliant cross between Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain, with a hint of Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge).
5/5
2) "Your Wall"
While this is a really strong song, it's definitely a minor step-below "Caught in the Rain" thanks to a somewhat distant chorus that doesn't garner much intrigue. All the same though, the lyrics are great as usual with this album, especially during the verses, with great but weird lines such as "I can see through / when communication is gone / the pieces of you / fall down from the cloud you were on" and "Everyone is gone / let it slip away / look at you, now your at the end!". The song features a whole lot of energy in the drumming sections, ramping the track up a notch to make it a whole lot more catchier than it could have been portrayed otherwise. The drumming on this song was done by David Piribauer, who only appears in this one song on the album for whatever reason. Either way, this is a catchy tune that's fast to boot and leads well into the next song.
4.5/5
3) "Spin"
Now for another step in the right direction, "Spin" is chilling from the get-go, seemingly about a woman who "won't let [herself] be saved", but then suddenly the chorus reveals "you're the hand that spins my revolver around when you push me away". The chorus implies a lot, but doesn't over-elaborate on the text, nor does it go for the sugar-coating, which compels the listener to gather an eerie collection of images based on how the listener perceives the words being sung. Justin's vocals are rather laid-back throughout, but he's got a cool "spin" to his voice (similar to Kurt Cobain) where some words are almost indescribable until you check out the actual written lyrics. During the second verse, Justin reveals "On the waves of an ocean / I'm a Space God in the rain", a strange revelation indeed, especially considering how it sounds like "I must face down in the rain" when he sings it so that some listeners might overlook it. A very unique, very psychedelic-sounding track that helps to boost the album's momentum...
5/5
4) "Seven"
...leading into another classic song that amplifies the wow factor through a simple, but effective chorus that quietly starts to build in volume as the song reaches near it's second chorus. Suddenly, by the time it does reach its second chorus, this alternative rock song transitions into a hard rock track with an apocalyptic edge that manages to pull on the heartstrings through a subject we can all relate to: death. The song is haunting, as proven by the very spooky music video, but a glimmer of hope remains throughout that helps keep it from getting overly depressing, if anything, you'll be glad you heard it as it may just give you a new perspective on life as we know it. "Can I be changed? Or am I the same?" are the questions asked before the chorus comes blasting its way into the mix and it's a compelling couple of questions to ask and answer as well, as a person might be compelled to think back upon their past missteps through such intricate song-writing. I love this song, I firmly believe it's one of the best written songs out there, the mix between alternative and heavy rock sounds work wonderfully to help create a growing sense of dread and harmony throughout, both maintaining equilibrium till the hair-raising closing question: "Can I be changed?".
5/5
5) "Straight Jacket Labels"
Absolutely catchy and inspired, this song is indeed. Now for yet another step in the right direction, it's easy to see why this was included as one of the band's five demo songs in order to get this album built such as "A Gift" (my favourite of the demos), "Seven" and this song. Later on down the line, they recorded demos for "Caught in the Rain" and "Spin" as well, the songs, including their album versions, were great and helped get them noticed by the record labels. This track is beautifully written, the drumming is fierce, the guitar-work is gripping and Justin is on-point throughout, ranging from high-to-low like it's nothing. This song must have been a blast to play live.
5/5
6) "Living Rooms"
Opening with a nice acoustic section, "Living Rooms" suddenly explodes with a ball of frantic guitar-driven energy. Lyrically, this song paints a portrait that is haunting but irresistible at the same token because it plays up the innocence at the beginning through the acoustic opening minute and twenty seconds. The switch-up keeps the track compelling, and the runtime, that clocks in at just a bit under three minutes, makes for a fresh listening experience each time. Just because the song gets heavier doesn't mean that the lyrics get lesser in impact, Justin finds a great balance between screaming and restraining his voice so that it doesn't become piercing to the ears when the switch occurs (like in a lot of mainstream metal and what-have-you these days). "Go inside, I'm coming through!" acts as the chorus to this calm, but suddenly fiery track that portrays the album as a whole quite well, maintaining that pitch-perfect equilibrium required to invest in a rock song like this. Also, that guitar solo, though short, is historically awesome in every way imaginable.
5/5
7) "Re-Use"
Though this is a case where a great chorus outshines the somewhat pedestrian verses, this is a great song nevertheless. It starts off kind of rocky, and the rest of the verses suffer from it, as Justin just sort of mopes his way through the proceedings. It's an interesting song, but ever time I hear it, the only thing that maintains my staying power is the chorus, it's the real deal. The song blazes itself back to life whenever the chorus arrives, and the simple "I re-use" at the end of each chorus is super-effective and provides nice breathing ground after the intensity of the band as a whole during the awesome choruses. A great song, but a small step-down from what has previously been played.
4/5
8) "City Beneath"
Much more upbeat than "Re-Use", that's for sure. "City Beneath" right away fires on all cylinders, delivering a rocking tune with a great drumming intro and powerful guitar-work throughout. With a strong message portrayed through great lyrics, "they're the same as / I'm the same as you", and yet another brilliant vocal performance by Justin Holman at its core, the song is definitely up there with some of the best on this record. This is a song that's eager for attention, it's difficult to resist and, as with "Living Rooms", it must have been great for a live performance. Though this is a great track, the only downside to this song is that it gets a little lyrical repetitious when taken as a whole in accordance to the rest of the album.
4.5/5
9) "Everything After"
Like "Seven", this is another song that deals with the theme of death, the lyrics are great, especially during the chorus with the lyrics "after you've gone / away from the life of the planet you're on / and everything after / loaded away / somebody spoke when I left here today". There's a very alien/sci-fi feel to this song, mainly portrayed in the lyrics, almost like something that Tool or Chevelle would come up with, it's very unique as it contemplates a cosmic afterlife of sorts. With that vivid a picture painted through such great lyrics, this song is an attention-seeker from the get-go and doesn't disappoint. Both fun and compelling, "Everything After" has something for almost everyone to love.
5/5
10) "Places For Breathing"
The title-track for this album, and it's a doozy. Acoustically-driven, the song has a nice laid-back feeling lingering throughout and the lyrics, once again, work wonders in crafting pictures in your mind. The song is very tragic, ending with Justin claiming that "I'll bury myself into the corner" like a saddened child would do. The lyrics are a bit of a downer, obviously, but the melody produced by the band in unison is at times jaw-dropping, the song feels epic in scope and yet it only clocks in at three minutes and twenty seconds. Many people should be able to easily relate to a song like this, various themes are pressed on throughout about uncertainty and taking things for granted. A truly impactful closer...
5/5
11) "Look Right Through Me"
...or not. No, this is the real closing track for Places For Breathing and... it's not as good as "Places For Breathing" unfortunately. With a two-minute long gap of silence to start off this six-minute song, the song is suddenly a three minute and thirty second fable about love. It's not bad, but it should not have closed this album. There's just nothing that is particularly special about it. The lyrics aren't anything to write home about either, "I found out / you were / in a mess / you caught me playing songs for you" and lazy lines like such drag this track down into a ditch. What a shame. But still, it's not offensive, it just would have been better if placed in the middle of the album or somewhere else other than right after what might be the most meaningful song on the record.
3/5
Looking back, this album has a lot more flaws than I originally perceived, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, it just shows that there was a genuine care injected into the record and that the band truly wanted to impress listeners with their dynamic range. They've certainly caught my eye, and I haven't looked away ever since, I always find myself spinning this album on my MP3 every now-and-again because it's endlessly catchy, one of the best début albums ever in my opinion. Clearly having various other musical influences throughout, I'd compare this album more so to Nirvana's Nevermind in its grungy-nature. Like Cobain, Holman's lyrics are at times unrecognisable when sung to the point where you'd be compelled to either listen to the song again or just look the lyrics up yourself, I like it when musicians do that, it's even more evident in the demo for "A Gift", you pretty much are just left to guess what the hell is being sung. With all that said, I absolutely love this album from top-to-bottom, lots of songs to listen to again-and-again, and lots of great lyrics to ponder on. All-in-all, this is a classic and truly underrated album.
