Pretty Boys Keep Swingin'

British pop quartet Breathe seemed to come out of nowhere in the spring of 1988 with their gorgeous ballad "Hands to Heaven", but in fact, their album "All That Jazz" had been more than two years in the making.

And the effort shows. Each of the songs is a well-crafted, well-performed, well-produced, jazzy, sophisticated pop gem. Lead singer David Glasper has an expressive and distinctive tenor voice, and he has an excellent sense of dynamics.

With the able backing of the band, and his clean-cut good looks to carry him, Glasper could have coasted through these songs and still had big hits with them. Instead, he demonstrates an unusual sensitivity to material which takes it all over the top, and makes songs like "Hands to Heaven" and "How Can I Fall?" pop classics that sound just as fresh and exciting today as they did 15 years ago.

"Hands to Heaven" was a revelation when it hit radio, a wistful ballad set on a bed of gently pulsing synths, and then David Glasper gently bidding a farewell to a lover, leading into a soaring, pleading chorus "Tonight you calm my restlessness / you relieve my sadness". Glasper's vocal is soulful and utterly convincing, like a farewell scene in
a black-and-white melodrama.

It's follow-up "How Can I Fall", while a less dramatic song, still gets a terrific performance from Glasper.

While the band was primarily known for these two ballads, a good chunk of the album is more uptempo. Songs such as album opener "Jonah" (a slightly gospel-inflected number with a great beat and catchy chorus), "Monday Morning Blues", the slightly funky "Any Trick" ("Ooh baby, you got me jumping like a monkey / I'm so crazy I'll do any trick for you"), and the fantastic third single, "Don't Tell Me Lies" (which became their third top 10 hit in 1989), are all bouncy and charming, flavored with Hammond organ fills, and snazzy horn (fake, probably, but still convincing) parts.

It also helps that this appears to be a band effort, with Glasper and guitarrist Marcus Lillington writing most of the songs. This isn't just synth pop... there are real drums here, and the occasional guitar solo, although Lillington wisely keeps his playing conservative and supportive.

Aside from the songs mentioned above, highlights include the soulful "Liberties of Love", and the regret-filled slow-burner "All This I Should Have Known" (the album's non-charting fourth single), which provides a heartbreaking sequel to the more hopeful "Hands to Heaven."

"Won't You Come Back" is the most ambitious track here. It runs nearly six minutes, but never feels stretched out. Rather, its layered production (with an uncredited sax solo throughout), its jazzy, but driving rhythm and its solid chorus keep the song moving at a brisk pace, so that we never lose interest.

All of this hints at wonderful things to come, but like many similarly minded pop groups of the late 80s, Breathe's time was brief. Bassist Michael Delahunty left right after the release of "All That Jazz". The band recorded one more mildly successful album ("Peace of Mind" in 1990), but called it quits shortly thereafter with David Glasper leaving for lackluster a solo career.

While there were many other bands doing this kind of thing around the same time (Johnny Hates Jazz, Waterfront), Breathe was doing it best. "All That Jazz" is a lovely, unassuming charmer that will find a very happy home with any fan of easy going pop music. They may have been pretty, but they had more than looks going for them. These songs are smart, and smartly performed. An excellent CD.

Unfortunately, this CD is out-of-print, and this may be a little hard to find for a reasonable price (i.e., less than 20 bucks).