"Clear" by NEEDTOBREATHE, Thursday, November 25, 2021

Brothers "Bear" and "Bo" Rineheart were born in Possum Kingdom, South Carolina and raised on a church camp that their father, a pastor, managed. Forming NEEDTOBREATHE with friends Seth Bolt and Joe Stillwell, the band signed to Atlantic Records and released their sophomore record in 2007.  Opening for Taylor Swift on her Speak Now Tour in 2011and winning many Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards and receiving two Grammy nominations, NEEEDTOBREATHE  has gained acclaim both in the Christian Rock and secular markets. The band's 2016 record, H A R D L O V E, debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 albums list and is the band's bestselling record. The folksy lyrics of NEEDTOBREATHE speak of faith, love, and family.

YOU'RE THE CATALYST OF HIGH HOPES. The theme of the band's 2016 record comes from a long-seeded rivalry between brothers Bear and Bo, which escalated in 2014 into a fist fight that ended with a trip to the hospital. The brothers reconciled and apologized to fans, saying that their music was more important than their personal differences. The song for which the album is named talks about the ones who are the hardest to love produced the best relationships. Bo left the band in 2020, replaced by Tyler Burkum, the guitarist from Audio Adrenaline and Leagues. "Clear" is the album's 6:51 closer. Composed with a warm tone of acoustic guitar and finishing touches of what sound like a piano in a wooden room, "Clear" is a beautiful romantic ballad. However, the critics don't agree on if "Clear" is the best way to finish the record. While the album holds very high reviews, "Clear" has been called a boring song or one that overstays its welcome. The reviewers at Jesusfreakshideout.com say that the track seems out of place behind the band's worshipful track "Testify." One reviewer states that "Clear" sounds too much like a worship track, almost ambiguous about whether "the reason for what I'm doing" is God or his spouse. The reviewers also say that the track "idolizes [sic] romantic love."  

YOUR BODY'S DANCING UNDER THE MOON. Bear Rineheart is married to Mary Reams and the couple has three sons: Wilder, Woods, and Waters. The track was written by Bear and producer Ed Cash, a producer who is behind mostly produced CCM acts like Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Dave Barnes. The song was played at bassist Seth Bolt's wedding shortly after the album's release. I only started listening to NEEDTOBREATHE last year, when I heard the song "Hard Love." I had avoided their country-take on Christian Rock, but there is something homey about them, especially because I called North Carolina home for ten years. Today, "Clear" is a love song when I'm feeling homesick on Thanksgiving day. Of course Ex-pats, unless they work for a foreign embassy, get no special provision for special holidays when living abroad. It's a school day in Korea, and it's a rather hectic time of the year with grades due at the end of the week. Thinking about family and how I can never celebrate Thanksgiving together with them if I continue to live abroad makes me sad. And yet, I think about how I (generally) like my job and my co-workers, and I'm in a loving relationship. There's a reason for doing what I'm doing. It's just not always clear on holidays.

 

Read “CLEAR” by NEEDTOBREATHE on Genius