INSiGHT – They Can’t Breathe – Single Review

Bringing awareness to society’s most contentious issues is often a thankless task. You have to be steadfast in your desire to bring about change, and your skin must be extraordinarily thick to prevent those who disagree from dragging you down. This is the kind of thing that Dave Minyard from the California-based hard rock band INSiGHT knows a thing or two about.

Originally a six-piece, INSiGHT is now solely operated by Minyard. After the release of his first album GEMINI: The Light & The Dark (2020), he chose to focus his musical messages on the most poignant, derisive issues that plague society. His album TrusT premiered in 2021, containing themes of civil unrest, climate change, poverty, and other hot-button social and political issues. This has earned him fans and foes alike, but so far it has not deterred him in his pursuit of truth and justice.

Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at one of the album’s leading singles, a track bravely and fiercely standing up against the systemic racism problems afflicting the U.S., a powerful, uncompromising, and rightfully angry track titled They Can’t Breathe.

“We must stand and fight for and with our brothers and sisters who have been treated unfairly for so long. WE, the ones that have had privileges not afforded to people of color, WE who have NOT been judged solely by the color of our skin … WE must help them up and tell them we are here, and we are allies, and we will NOT let these injustices continue.” – INSiGHT

From a musical standpoint, They Can’t Breathe is a modern hard rock track at its core, with clear metal influences that guide some of the track’s instrumentation and riff compositions. It’s heavy electric guitars in the driver’s seat, well complemented by growling vocals throughout, ramping up at critical moments in the song’s messaging but still leaving plenty of room for musicality.

The instrumentation is firey and aggressive across the board, and it’s exactly the right vessel for this song’s message, which is undoubtedly its focal point. Minyard himself is not a minority, but he wrote this song with his particular perspective in mind, hoping to shine another light on the situation and help the individuals that are a part of the suffering demographic be seen and heard. In They Can’t Breathe, Minyard decries the injustices committed against black Americans, remembers their tragic stories, and calls complacency of other non-minorities an extension of racism. He does so with deft lyricism that makes his message crystal clear:

“Put yourself in the shoes of the fallen
Going about their daily lives
We never listened to the words they’ve been callin’
Every day’s a struggle to survive”

These are the kind of tracks and artists that history remembers – those who were unafraid to tackle the toughest issues and bring awareness to marginalized groups while paying no regard to the unavoidable criticism from the other side. So many musicians use their work to promote themselves and their own stories, and those who choose to use their platform to bring awareness to the issues of others instead of themselves are as noble as they are rare. They Can’t Breathe is a powerful track, full of quality musicianship alongside an incredibly important message, and we fully commend INSiGHT for taking this stance publicly and working towards more truth and justice in society as a whole. For INSiGHT’s take on other serious issues, be sure to listen to the entirety of their album TrusT, available everywhere now.

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BELOW: Check out our full artist interview with INSiGHT, listen to They Can’t Breathe, and connect with their website and social media platforms, watch their music video, and find their booking & contact information. Please support INSiGHT by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!

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