It's Classy, Not Classic | Breathe Carolina

4.5/5 stars


Tracks to Download: “Show Me Yours,” “The Birds and the Bees,” “Gossip,” “Diamonds”


Sounds like: The Medic Droid, The Secret Handshake, Daft Punk with less vocoder and more screaming

    Scenesters and hipsters unite! The one genre from which the two rivaling subcultures share steadily rising fascination and inspiration is electronica, particularly dance-ready electronica. Breathe Carolina make hook-heavy, dance-ready pop-electronica that makes use of post-hardcore (screaming) vocals. The result is magical. The music is upbeat yet emotive, great for solo listening and perfect for a party.

    “It’s Classy, Not Classic” is Breathe Carolina’s first LP. It contains five of the six songs from their iTunes-only EP, “Gossip” as well as six new songs. The album opens with “The Introduction,” a slower track that begins with heavily vocoded vocals that follow a simple synth melody and later breaks into full form with more prominent, clear vocals and an added harmony. The song truly is an introduction as it establishs their style (other than the screaming vocals) in a more basic form.

    “No Vacancy” is where Breathe Carolina truly find their step and the party begins. Vocoded vocals open the party-centric track (“Tonight I find out just what you are about”) and are quickly followed by screaming vocals that pick up the pace. From there it takes on a steady dance rhythm rife with repetition both in instrumentation and lyrics. Since it’s a party track this works as those participating in the hedonism can bump and grind which singling along to lyrics such as “We came here to party like we’re going out”.“Show Me Yours” quickens the pace even more. A fast-paced synth line leads into the screaming vocals (asking listeners “What’s up!?!!!”).

“The Birds and the Bees” slows things down a bit and adds a whole lot of sex. Mostly using traditional vocal style, the added screaming adds to the hedonism of it all and makes it oddly (and awesomely) sensual. However, the lyrics are truly the gem of the track, particularly the chorus. They’re sang in a call and response manner with the response screamed (“I swear to god I won’t stop until you’re shakin’ / -trust me baby you know I want to- / and let me slide into you please baby / -and if you’re screamin’, then I’m screamin’ too- / If you want it let me bring it, let me sneak into your house tonight.”)

    “Classified” is likely the worst track on the album. It is also more of a slow jam, but it’s done in a manner so straightforward it’s almost boring. With “Gossip” they find redemption. Fun and dancy, it again exhibits everything Breathe Carolina does well. “That’s Classy” is more serious although still a dance tune and contains the most screaming of any track on the album. “Diamonds” is also more serious and likely the most emotive track on the album. Its verse is slower with some of the best (although still cheesy and seemingly nonsensical) lyrics on the album (“So take a listen while we glisten in the summer weather / We got the wine we just shake shake make it better / Don’t you want to wear my diamonds”), but the chorus picks up a dance pace.

    Breathe Carolina, finish the album strong keeping the dance beat alive with “Lovely” and “Put Some Clothes On,” both holdovers from the iTunes-only EP, “Gossip.” “It’s Classy, Not Classic” is a fantastically fun and unique album. While it’s nothing groundbreaking, it does an incredible job of melding together the best elements of two very disjoint genres of music. Plus, it’s perfect for drunk dancing at parties. Breathe Carolina will be playing at FUBAR on Friday, September 12th. Tickets are $10 and available now.