that “EDM” edge to it that the reboot supposedly tries
to channel. As ambitious as the remake sounds, it just
seems too watered down from its original, trading the
the band’s usual lethal drunkenness for drops that
sound regrettably bland, generic, and underwhelming.
Dave Schmitt’s vocals still give the obvious recklessseductive BC style that topped and pervaded all of the
group’s music from the last seven years, but in this
number his crooning is unfortunately wrested out by
the track’s obnoxious and forgettable synths, of which
are wailing over a careless four-four beat. Breathe Carolina seemingly tries to blend themselves with this new
“EDM” flair, but instead creates something discombobulated and broken.
It’s the reboot’s drops that are inevitably going to divide
the fans, and rightfully so; scrapped is the dirty and
shocking drop that capitalized the original track on Savages and caught many listeners off guard, and in place
are non-sensical drops that seem horrifically awkward
and out of place. “Dirty” is still a word that can be used
to describe them, but they just wrongfully stick out and
don’t seem to gel nicely to the track like the original.
While I don’t deny that these drops would not sound out
of place from a big event, its generic nature will inevitably be drowned in the sea of more memorable tracks.
There’s no denying the group’s ambition and boldness
for trying something new. However, the reboot of “I
Don’t Know What I’m Doing” seems to be a step backwards in music quality, as Breathe Carolina seems to accidentally trade their whole musical identity away in an
attempt to make music with a more mainsteam sound.
This isn’t to say they’re horrible at it — their recent remix of Sofi De La Torre’s “Vermillion,” for example, is not
perfect, but quite decent and polished, and may be a
slightly better glimpse into what the band would sound
as a mainstream act.
Established artists such as Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris, and
Zedd have achieved much success in the EDM scene,
but maybe that’s just it; maybe BC just needs more time
to establish themselves. And that’s why this reboot
is once again puzzling: Breathe Carolina already is an
established group of musicians that we know is more
than capable of raising hell and throwing unforgettable
parties. Nevertheless, if the more conventional house
sound is what this ambitious band wants to achieve,
then it is up to the fans to support them and let them
grow; we already know the group has the tools and talent to produce something good, we just gotta sit back
and wait. But one can’t help and wish the group opted
to build on what they already know, rather than try to
swing full-on into a new direction, because among the
sea of Steve Aokis, Calvin Harrises, and Zedds, there is
only one Breathe Carolina.
As the old adage goes: don’t reboot what’s unbroken.
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