The Leaves are to
Sigur Rós as
Coldplay is to
Radiohead -- the Icelandic band traffics in similarly epic rock, but packages it in a safe, less challenging form for the masses. That's not to say that
Breathe isn't good -- on the contrary, it's a propulsive album that moves from deep atmospheres ("I Go Down"), to a shimmering,
Doves-like groove ("Catch"), to the best type of
Coldplay balladry (the title track). But, despite solid songwriting, glimmering production, and a broad palette of emotions,
Breathe shows the Leaves' potential more than anything else. This record seems destined to be lauded and quickly forgotten -- like
Starsailor's
Love Is Here and
JJ72's self-titled debut -- until the band can prove itself to indie hipsters and critics with an innovative sophomore release. It's simply just not as striking as its peers, from
the Doves' two brilliant albums to
Sigur Rós' mind-blowing indie prog. [The 2003 re-release features the bonus tracks "We" and "Favour."] ~ Charles Spano