7/10
In an era where many releases arrive prepackaged with carefully curated narratives, Sharon Katta’s 'Death Said, Breathe' presents an unusual challenge for the listener. It's a project that asks to be experienced rather than simply consumed, and across five interconnected pieces, the London-based singer-songwriter and producer constructs a deeply personal work that sits somewhere between alternative music, sound art, cinematic composition, and emotional autobiography.
But what immediately stands out here is the project’s commitment to atmosphere. Instead of pursuing the conventional verse-chorus structure, he builds these immersive environments where sounds emerge, dissolve, and transform with an almost filmic logic. The music often feels less concerned with delivering hooks than with creating emotional spaces for reflection. That approach won’t appeal to every listener, but it gives the EP a distinctive identity that separates it from more formulaic contemporary releases.
The centrepiece is undoubtedly the seven-minute title-track that closes the release. Field recordings, orchestral textures, environmental sounds, and carefully layered instrumentation are woven together into something that feels simultaneously intimate and expansive. There's a sense of controlled chaos throughout the arrangement, as moments of tension are allowed to linger before gradually giving way to passages of calm. Throughout, the production demonstrates impressive attention to detail, particularly in how individual elements are positioned and allowed room to breathe within the mix.
The songwriting itself also operates differently from traditional singer-songwriter fare. From beginning to end, the lyrics often function as fragments of thought and feeling, contributing to the broader emotional landscape. This is an approach that reinforces the themes of uncertainty, vulnerability, and personal reconstruction that run throughout the project. At times, the abstract nature of the writing may leave some searching for firmer ground, but that ambiguity also allows the material to remain open to individual interpretation.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of 'Death Said, Breathe' is its emotional sincerity. Projects centred around themes of despair and recovery can sometimes feel overly self-conscious or heavy-handed. But the artist avoids that trap by focusing on sensation by inviting us into a carefully constructed emotional environment and left to navigate it on our own terms.
If there is a criticism, it's that the EP occasionally prioritises atmosphere over memorability. Certain passages are more effective as experiences than as individual musical moments, yet that may also be part of the project’s purpose.
Ultimately, Sharon Katta has created something ambitious, deeply personal, and artistically fearless. Throughout its runtime, 'Death Said, Breathe' explores the uneasy territory between collapse and renewal with patience and compassion. It's a project that rewards focused listening and reveals new details with each return visit, confirming him as an artist more interested in building worlds than producing easily digestible fodder.
