Before anyone even knew who the
likes of Miley Cyrus or Demi Lovato were, Hilary Diff emerged as the first
Disney alumni to successfully establish a bonafide popstar career. But for any
artist, a eight year gap between records can be a tricky avenue to navigate.
Does Hilary still have what it takes to be a popstar right now? And does her
movement into being a mature artist have enough power compared to her Disney
stardom?
Track 1- Sparks
After a lack of promotion and a bit
of a lacklustre comeback in the forms of singles ‘Chasing the Sun’ and ‘All
About You’, ‘Sparks’ marked the first full on start of this new musical era for
Duff. Produced by Christian “Bloodshy” Kaarlson, the track finds the singer returning
to the dance pop sound of her last album Dignity, with the track finding Duff
in an amorous mood as she tells us how she sees sparks when she sees this guy.
It is a simple, unabashed pop track that has a nice flirtatious air, brought
out brilliantly by the softer style of Duff’s vocal. Bloodshy keeps the
production streamlined and easy with a nice synthpop line coupled with a
deliriously addictive whistling hook. For a comeback track it is just what Duff
needs: simple catchy, and the right level of mature for where she is at her
life now. This was a great single choice, and a great start to this record.
3.5/5
Track 2- My Kind
Keeping in line with the sexier
vibes of ‘Sparks’, ‘My Kind’ is another simple pop track that finds Duff
wanting to be with this guy for a night, as she something In him that she
likes. The gentleness of the verses are offset nicely by the vibrancy of the
chorus, whilst once again Duff’s softer vocal style works brilliantly in
bringing out the message of the lyrics. What nicely separates the track from
being a carbon copy of ‘Sparks’ is the production, with the track being
enveloped in a slightly more tropical vibe with pulsating drum beats. The style
is fun and fresh for Duff, although it may be a bit of a rip off of Gwen Stefani’s
‘Baby Don’t Lie’
3.5/5
Track 3- One in a Million
More of straight up pop sound than
the last tracks, One in a Million finds Duff changing tact lyrically. Here the
singer tells us of how she is an individual, and this guy is an idiot for not
seeing the greatness he is going to lose out on. The lyrics are standard,
slightly clichéd fare detailing a simple, dysfunctional relationship, but the
breeziness of Duff’s vocal, couple with the stomping feel of the production
makes One in a Million a cool pop track that sounds like it would be nice to
sing along to and blast out of some speakers when you’re feeling a bit down.
3/5
Track 4- Confetti
With ‘Confetti’, Duff delves deeper
into the realms of EDM, with the track being marked as a standout purely by the
delirious tone of the production. The track focuses on Duff being hit by an
overwhelming feeling of love, with this guy apparently turning her into
Confetti. Lyrically this is much stronger than the previous tracks, with a
lyrical intensity that is much more appealing. Duff’s light vocal seems to fit
perfectly alongside the hectic EDM sound, and with a great interpolation of the
Belinda Carlisle classic ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’, ‘Confetti’ is a great
pop track that sees Duff being enveloped in a sound that greatly suits hers.
3.5/5
Track 5- Breathe In Breathe Out
Title track Breathe In. Breathe Out
finds Duff continuing with the more electronic based sound, but softening
things down a minute for a nice mid-tempo offering. And here we find Duff delving
into some more emotional material lyrically, as she reflects on the end of a
relationship and how she is going to move on with her life. The lyrics are
sweet and nicely reflect on Duff’s personal troubles, with the simple feel of
the production acting as a great backdrop to the serious moment of reflection
Duff is having here. Furthermore, with the soft, airy style of vocal comes a
sense that Duff means what she says and is truly having a reflective moment
here, something which her fans will undoubtedly enjoy.
3.5/5
Track 6- Lies
‘Lies’ finds Duff having a bit more
intensity with her music, but this time with a bit of bit. The track focuses on
Duff simply calling out the man in her life and telling him that she has had
enough of his lies. The verses may be clichéd, but the simple quality of the
chorus with the ‘la la la lie’ hook makes the track instantly catchy. Duff uses
her voice in a natural and enjoyable way, with the softness of the verses
nicely building up to a snappy chorus. The only problem with the song is the
production. Whilst the booming horns and snappy rhythm is nice enough, the
tracks style is just a bit too similar to ‘My Kind’, meaning this track
definitely doesn’t stand out like it has the potential too.
2.5/5
Track 7- Arms Around a Memory
The most full on EDM track of the
album, ‘Arms Around a Memory’ focuses on Duff once again reflecting on the end
of a relationship, but this time around Duff laments the fact that she can’t
have a relationship with just her memories, even if she realises the
relationship has to end and both parties move on. Solely written by songwriter
Matthew Koma, the lyrics are intricate and beautiful, with a poetic quality
that you can’t help but love. Duff’s vocal tone is the perfect voice to bring
out the tender, melancholic edge to the lyrics, with the track definitely
seeing her doing some of her best vocal work. The build-up of the verses
towards the standard EDM breakdown is nice, and although many elements of the
production are standard fare for an EDM song, the producers never go into unnecessary,
this is for the club mode, keeping the sound on the right side of simple but
effective, and making for an album highlight in the process.
4/5
Track 8 Stay in Love
If the last track was about letting
go of a relationship, then ‘Stay in Love’ finds Duff fighting for love, kind
of. Whilst the verses focuses on the downfall of a relationship, the chorus
find Duff wanting a reason to stay in love. The lyrical style is nicely
complimentary, and the simple backdrop of a pulsating synthline and stomping
drumbeats makes for a dramatic flair to the track. The only real issue here is
Duff’s vocal. Whilst all of the previous tracks played well to the natural
texture of her voice, ‘Stay in Love’ sadly finds Duff overreaching a bit in the
chorus, trying to hit some higher notes that maybe should have been left alone.
No one ever said she was Whitney Houston, and Duff always needs to recognise
her vocal limitations.
3/5
Track 9- Brave Heart
With ‘Brave Heart’ comes a moment
of change in the record, as the track finds Duff embodying more of the acoustic
folk sound that the whole album was initially going to embody. That’s not to
say it sounds out of place, and whilst the soft guitar and snappy production is
definitely a change of pace, the song still has enough of a simple pop
sensibility for it to naturally fit in with the rest of the album. Duff’s vocal
nicely compliments the softer tone of the production, although the chorus once
again finds her coming across a little whiny. Sadly the worst thing about the
track is the lyrics, with Duff trying to evoke a feeling of bravely moving on
with life after a break up. The problem is that everything is just so clichéd
it sounds stupid, ultimately making Brave Heart the first major misstep on the
whole record.
2/5
Track 10- Tattoo
The most stripped back track of the
set, Tattoo is a standout on the record simply because so much has been made
about the fact it was co-written by current megastar Ed Sheeran. The lyrics
definitely have a Sheeran flair about them, with Duff reflecting about how this
person who is no longer in her life has left a permanent mark on the person she
is. The lyrics are nice and Duff brilliantly brings out the fragility of the
track with the delicacy of her vocal. Furthermore, the production is nice and
simply understated, with producer Jake Gosling doing a great job of making his
mark on the track whilst putting Duff’s vocal centre stage. All in all this is
a high profile collaboration that comes across nicely, rather than just a ‘hey
looked who worked on my album’ moment.
3.5/5
Track 11- Picture This
If there is one song that should
definitely not have made this album, it’s ‘Picture This’. Here we find Duff
singing about a relationship that has turned into something that she didn’t see
in her head. The concept isn’t exactly original, and the production is just
dull with a annoying whistling melody and some clunky guitar riffs. But the
major problem here is that Duff just doesn’t sound comfortable vocally at all.
She is stretched way too thinly in the chorus, making for a really
uncomfortable listen. Everyone loves a tryer, but Duff surely knows her vocal
limitations, and if her or anyone involved in this album had any sense, ‘Picture
This’ would have stayed buried in the Duff reject pile.
1/5
Track 12- Night Like This (featuring Kendall Schmidt)
Final track ‘Night Like This’ is a
nice finish to the record that means we don’t end things on a sour note. Here
we find Duff playing a flirtatious game, as she sings with guest artist Kendall
Schmidt about taking cabs, having fun, and just having the kind of night where
anything could happen. Backed by a simple guitar melody and some hand clapping moments
in the chorus, the track nicely sits as a simple pop number that will charm you
with its sweetness. The real beauty of the track is the way that Duff’s and
Schmidt’s voices meld together, with the two artists sounding like they are
really going out on some kind of fun, spontaneous date. It is a surprising collaboration
in a way that comes across as proper pop duet should, and whilst many people
may not really know Schmidt, hopefully ‘Night Like This’ may make them look out
for him in the future.
3.5/5
Final Results
As far as comeback albums go,
Hilary Duff has done a grand job. With ‘Breathe In. Breathe Out’ she has
created a nice, streamlined pop album that both recaptures her musical essence
that fans already loved (particularly the ‘Dignity’ era), whilst also giving us
a contemporary sound. Aside from a few missteps, it is just a simple, fun pop
album, with a straightforward approach to pop that some of her contemporaries
might want to take notice of.
7/10
Best Track- Arms Around a Memory
Worst Track- Picture This
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