Andy Salend & Brody McKeegan have known each other for years. It’s easy to tell by their sardonic twitter interactions and ever present social media back-and-forth that the duo are the best of friends, well beyond their mutual love for music. Despite this, it wasn’t until the past year that the tag team properly formed under their monikers of thebreathingbackwards & Brody respectively, for the blackheartemoji project. In speaking with the both of them, Brody describes the album as “…the most personal collection of music I’ve ever been a part of.” Andy delineates it as “a big relief — an explosion of everything I’ve been feeling for the past year.” With these heavy sentiments in mind the two set out to make the album. Equipped with thebreathingbackwards on vocals, Brody on production, and nothing but time, the duo worked to craft an incredibly intimate project that would be about a year in the making at the time of its release.
The album opens with “Everything.” An intro outfitted with spacey layered guitar and mystical vocal backing, complete with a sample spearheaded by the phrase “I’ve been thinking a lot about dying lately” from the 2007 film Synecdoche, New York. The lyrical content of the sample coupled with the desolate sonic landscape painted by Brody’s full-bodied production sets the tone for the album.
“Too Long,” featuring the vocal talents of Shinigami, delves in with Brody’s trademark menacing guitar accompanied by otherworldly pads, crooning along as we’re introduced to an abrasive vocal cadence in the distresses of the thebreathingbackwards as he raps:
“I’ve been sleeping less
Insomnia inside my chest
Waking up too early
Fucking sore, and just a bit more stressed”
The track persists to the hook, where Shinigami belts his colophon of heartfelt anguished vocals, creating an imposing contrast to thebreathingbackward’s quick, gut-wrenching delivery.
An all star cast was assembled for “burn you down” boasting a hard hitting hook from yesterday and an agonizing outro from familypet. Set over a whaling guitar and heavy bass-line, the trio of vocalists play off of each other’s unique deliveries in spectacular fashion. blackheartemoji trudges on, as lifeless metallic synths compliment knocking 808s on “Block,” where we see thebreathingbackwards detail his internal struggle with the process of making music, and the reality of having fans that find solace in his art. thebreathingbackward’s frustration is even more palpable on “no fair” as he croons over an orchestral string backing:
“Don’t wanna rise and face today
Tomorrow seems so far away
I’m breaking down again I swear
It’s just not fair, it’s just not fair”
Brody and self described super producer Jay Vee work in tangent to make a prepossessing atmosphere on “somebody new.” Jay’s trap flavored production style and affinity for dreamy synth bells coupled with Brody’s guitar work set the stage for thebreathingbackward’s anguished ballad. The melodic track is followed by their biggest commercial single “what i am” featuring guardin. Dueling guitar riffs and live percussion set the groundwork for the track, as thebreathingbackwards delivers intense lyrics dripping in self-destruction. The hook comes in with guardin’s painful perfunctory deliverance, a fitting cadence for singing about being a fuck-up.
Track 8 “thorns” is the most subdued cut off the album, as thebreathingbackwards trades his usual keen intense rapping for a soft-toned upper register. The lyrical content also makes an abrupt change as the expected self-deprecation and misery are exchanged for a heart to heart with a significant other, a moment of “opening scars, letting you in.” The heartfelt stop was quite abrupt, as thebreathingbackwards is thrust back into the dark on “never again.” The title of the track is screamed into the void of the mechanical, dismal production as thebreathingbackwards is near tears with passion, yelling his darkest thoughts over the metallic mess.
Out of the dark and into the light, the head-bobbing “morning light” features production help from the gnarly neighbor, and is a flippant response to the everyday tasks of life, as thebreathingbackwards unapologetically acknowledges “I’m fucking up my life and i know it.” But, when delivered over tight percussion and a catchy guitar melody, you can’t help but sing along to the hook. “characters” is a fast and intense follow up, as howling guitar hovers over trap drums and fierce chords. thebreathingbackwards vocals are in their element on the production, as he delivers lyrics with matching ferocity.
Track 12 “fucking up” features the king of heartfelt delivery, guccihighwaters. His skills are well employed as he trades lines on the hook with thebreathingbackwards, in a call and response of asperities. The album comes to a finish with “where i belong.” A somber goodbye from thebreathingbackwards, initially set over a simple guitar riff. The track builds with backing vocals and a bass-line before a grand culmination, as full band instrumentation comes in, rocking the listener to conclusion.