I listened to Breakdown Breakthrough several times, and watched the video several times. Then I sat and thought. And I didn’t post a review. This was on the weekend. I’ll explain why I’m posting it pretty much forty eight hours later.

Breakdown Breakthrough is an exceptional pop song. Queenstown native but Auckland based Kiwi alt-pop/dream-pop artist Blake has crafted a brave statement, woven into a commercially sensible tune and exquisite mix of genteel keys, leading acoustic guitar and a subtle rhythm and bottom end recorded at Parachute and Blake’s own home studio, then mixed and polished up by award-winning engineer Simon Gooding. It’s a tiny bit T*yl*r Sw*ft, a.k.a the guitars and the beginning vibe, and that’s definitely a compliment – but then this goes into another level of intricacy and musical sorcery that I’ll expand on now.

Blake is currently enjoying the initial stages of career success, and rightly so. She’s good. When I mentioned commercial sensibility earlier, I was referring to her ability to weave meaning and depth into something pleasing enough to encapture a wide demographic of listeners. The song is actually about feelings of impostor syndrome and anxiety for the future. This is the brave statement she’s making here, and as someone who has been diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety myself, almost two decades ago now, I heard every word, every pitch and tone, and I understood where she was in her head when she crafted the sweet, deceptively gentle melody that you’ll find yourself totally ear-wormed by in no time. To someone who knows this world, the lyrics will be spellbinding.

Furthermore, the addition of the backing vocals, when listened to while watching the brilliantly emotive yet outrageously simple video, will resonate as that second voice; that intangible presence on your shoulder (call it the Black Dog) that puts that weight, lethargy and procrastination in your brain. It’s you but it’s different, bewitching and beguiling… yet it’s not the real you that’s out front for all to see.

There’s a genre called Singer/Songwriter. I always found that odd, because the people who populate what we count as the members of the genre are as diverse in sound and look as you and I. It’s not a genre – it’s an occupation. Blake is already someone who this simple chap considers to be advanced in lyrical technique, composition and arrangement. Her vocal performance is pure and crystal, yet warm and vulnerable. And she looks cool too. This track is going to do well, and it should. It’s something you can listen to in the car, in bed at night with the rain smashing against the windows, while you’re making some toast or something more complex, or on the train coming home from town after a long one. It just fits. It really does.

Why did I wait two days to write this? Because I had to think of a way to stop writing about how much this song instantly touched me. Go check out the video on YouTube. Breakdown Breakthrough by Blake Official. Stick your headphones on and watch the lady walk through early morning Auckland city. Let her sing to you and touch your soul. Then you’ll understand what I’ve been on about here and you can add it to your Sp*tify playlist.