"Clear" by NEEDTOBREATHE, Saturday, August 24, 2024 (updated repost)

Brothers "Bear" and "Bo" Rineheart were born in Possum Kingdom, South Carolina, and raised in 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 2011, winning many Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards, and receiving a Grammy nomination, 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 200 albums chart 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 fistfight that ended with a trip to the hospital. The brothers reconciled and apologized to fans, saying 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 and produce the best relationships. Bo left the band in 2020 and was replaced by Tyler Burkum, the guitarist from Audio Adrenaline and Leagues. "Clear"   H A R D L O V E's  6:51 closer. Composed with a warm tone of acoustic guitar and finishing touches of what sounds 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 Rineheart and the couple has three sons: Wilder, Woods, and Waters. "Clear" 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 didn't listen to NEEDTOBREATHE much until 2020. When I first heard of them, there were so many crossover Christian bands and in their mid-career, I wasn't listening to much Christian music. Now, "Clear" is a song I frequently hear on Starbucks' corporate playlist. I am drawn to this song especially when I'm torn between my love for my family back home and my partner in Korea. I miss so many milestones in my family members' and friends' lives because of working on the other side of the world- weddings, births, and deaths. Phone calls and presents don't assuage my guilt, but somehow I keep it up. I only hope that someday I can be more present for the ones that I love. Love is complicated when it is torn, but it also becomes clear when you find the right person what you have to do.

Read “CLEAR” by NEEDTOBREATHE on Genius