Critics of
Breathe saw the British trio as a poor man's
Wham!, and when one listens to
Breathe's second album,
Peace of Mind, it's hard to argue with that assessment.
Wham! was obviously
Breathe's primary influence, but none of the songs on this album have
Wham!'s freshness -- and few of them are very memorable. If
Breathe is a poor man's
Wham!, lead singer
David Glasper often comes across as a low-rent version of one-time
Wham! singer
George Michael. Nonetheless, this R&B-tinged pop offering has its moments. The perky "Say a Prayer" is fairly catchy, and the dramatic ballad "Woman" is rather enjoyable. But for the most part, this is an album of bland, forgettable songs from a group that emulated
Wham! without being a fraction as interesting. ~ Alex Henderson