dustybonez (aka Dusty Ballard) is an independent artist from Bay City, Michigan. God has been at work in Dusty's life for a long time as he went from being an underprivileged kid to a teenager and young adult abusing drugs and alcohol while playing in a band, and eventually becoming a pastor. Dusty's new song, "Breathe," came out of another difficult season in his life a couple of years ago. A heart attack and a tree falling on his home had his family living in a church basement for awhile. Again, God was at work and a group of songs were written. The heart of "Breathe" is a bluesy rock song, but there are some slight country vibes and other elements that sneak in as well. The track has a great guitar hook and a groove that just doesn't stop. The guitar work here actually steals the show. There are so many parts that it's hard to fixate on just one. I really enjoy bouncing around the different rhythm and lead parts on display while listening. And that bass line is killer too! The entire song is written and put together so well. Vocally, Dusty is good too. His voice doesn't have all the grit you'd sometimes expect in this genre, but his vocals are clean and articulate and stand out well in the mix. He has a great voice and it works well within the song. My favorite line is found when Dusty sings, "I've been running down this highway. I've been trying to just to find my way. When that old devil tries to crush my soul, I'll be singing I'll Fly Away." The song's lyrics focus on no matter how hard life gets that God is there for us. We need our Savior just as much as we need air. Dusty sings, "I only want to breathe, breathe in Your love for me."

"Breathe" is a fun little rock track with blues and country inspiration. On top of that, it's uplifting lyrically and offers up the answer to the struggles in our lives. I'd recommend this to any fans of that bluesy rock sound and personally can't wait to hear the other dustybonez songs that came out of that church basement.

- Review date: 12/3/22, written by Michael Weaver of Jesusfreakhideout.com

Record Label: None
Album length: 1 track: 5 minutes, 8 seconds
Street Date: October 7, 2022
Buy It: iTunes

1. Breathe (5:08)