If there is a small "bright side" to the pandemic and the resulting quarantine of the last year-plus, it's in the volume of art that is sure to follow this time of isolation and introspection. There will no doubt be books, films, music and more in the coming months and years that otherwise might not have been created if so much down time had not been foisted upon us. Art thrives in uncertainty, and that's surely been in abundance lately.

Add to this upcoming flood of releases NEEDTOBREATHE's latest album, the surprise release Into The Mystery, which the band is letting loose July 30th. Written and recorded in just three weeks at a remote farm house in Tennessee, the album is a delightful surprise for fans who are still absorbing last year's fantastic Out Of Body (an album that the band was sadly not able to take on tour).

"Into The Mystery," the title track and first single, traces a pastoral, 60's folk-rock vibe (with hints of Van Morrison and the Byrds) with choral harmonies in the chorus that would make Crosby, Stills & Nash proud. The track conjures up a cozy-yet-forceful feeling of the mystery and potential in this life we live, with invitational lyrics that pull the listener in: "From my shallow grave, I've prayed to find / The strength to crawl, the strength to climb / Up to the surface, untie my hands / Sorrow had a purpose but it's time to stand / 'Cause I just wanna be loved by you / I cannot resist the need to hear you say it / Whatever you do, I will be there Son, I will follow you anywhere / Into the mystery."

"Into The Mystery" is a great, haunting first salvo of new material from NEEDTOBREATHE. It's a song that urges the listener to examine what they might be holding onto for safety in this world, and letting go of it for something so much better.

- Review date: 5/17/21, written by Alex Caldwell of Jesusfreakhideout.com