Your Last Breath and This Is Like Love by Overhead, The Albatross

We first encountered Overhead, The Albatross (OTA) when we put up their gig at JT Soar on the site, where they shared the stage with Codices and The Brackish. Unfortunately, none of us could make it to the show, and I truly regret that! Missing out on what I now realise would have been an emotionally transformative experience was a loss, but when we were asked to review Your Last Breath and This Is Like Love from their forthcoming album I Leave You This (out 15th November 2024), there was no hesitation.

Your Last Breath was released back in March, but at the time, NottsRocks wasn’t up and running as it is now. I’ll admit, listening to this track for the first time hit me harder than I expected. The emotional weight it carries is immense, blending beauty and sorrow in a way that left me speechless. The accompanying video is deeply personal, opening with a simple yet loaded dialogue where a mother asks her son, "How old are you?" It’s a moment that soon unravels into reflections on memory and loss. The boys in the video may be family or friends of the band members, and their scenes are interspersed with shots of Stevie Darragh, who seems to be lost in thought, perhaps reminiscing. The footage from 1996 adds layers of nostalgia and poignancy to the song’s theme.

Clocking in at just over 9 minutes, Your Last Breath is not just a song—it’s a journey. The track opens with subtle drumming and synths, creating an almost fragile tension that grows steadily. Bass and guitar come in as the video shifts between images of young boys and moments from the band’s present. There’s an underlying sadness that intensifies as the cello joins in, drawing out feelings of regret, warmth, and a sense of time slipping away.

The build-up, which begins around the 5:15 mark, swells into a wave of overwhelming emotion. When Luke Daly’s spoken word enters midway, the rawness of his words struck me to the core:

"The corridor felt empty that day, like we were alone.
As our eyes met while you were pushed, I knew that was it—our last look.
I called out just as you were wheeled past, and the words 'I love you' descended, echoing against the rubber floor."

I’ll be honest—by the time I reached the final lines, tears were streaming down my face. It’s not often that a track taps into something so deeply personal and universal all at once. The seamless blending of strings, synths, and guitars allows Your Last Breath to not just convey but embody grief, love, and the fleeting nature of life. It’s impossible not to be moved when Luke delivers lines like, “I hope one day I can inhale your last breath and feel it in my chest.” The song is a powerful meditation on loss and memory, and it stayed with me long after the last note had faded.

On the other hand, This Is Like Love offers a completely different energy—frenzied, vibrant, and equally captivating. The track opens with East Asian-style vocals and an atmospheric beat before morphing into an upbeat, instrumental feast, filled with synth layers and a pulsating bassline. It’s a playful track, with tempo shifts that keep you on your toes. By the time it hits the 3:27 mark, it blends traditional elements with modern ones, bringing together nostalgic sounds with a progressive edge. The refrain, “This is like love,” repeats in the final minute, perfectly capturing the chaotic and euphoric essence of love itself.

While Your Last Breath takes you on a contemplative, emotional journey, This Is Like Love delivers a rollercoaster of instrumental energy that’s both uplifting and frenzied. Together, these two tracks showcase the incredible range OTA has as a band. If the rest of I Leave You This holds the same power, we’re in for something truly special when the album drops in November.

The band have previously appeared at Electric Picnic, PORTALS, All Together Now, Stendahl Ireland, Castlepalooza, Indiependence, Hard Working Class Heroes and The Camden Crawl, recently completing a UK headline tour run (including a sold out London show at The Lexington) the band will announce further live dates for 2025 in due course, we can’t wait, we’re definitely going to see them next time.