By Michael Kolawole

David Awoseso isn’t a household name in contemporary instrumental music yet. But with Breathe, his latest piano album, he steps into the quiet tradition of emotive, faith-driven compositions. Known within select circles for his spiritually grounded performances and reflective sounds, Awoseso’s work often carries the weight of personal journeys. Breathe is no exception.

Merely looking at the album’s title and tracklist, with songs like “Inhale”, “Deep Waters”, and “Exhale”, one might mistake it for a soundtrack for swimming lessons. But it’s far more profound than that.

“It’s a sombre album born from a season of reflection, healing, and growth,” Awoseso explains when asked what inspired the project. “The inspiration came quietly at the piano. One of those times when I found myself thinking deeply about my journey: the past, the people I’ve encountered, the challenges I’ve faced, and the grace that carried me through it all.”

Breathe thematically charts an emotional arc:  from internal unrest to acceptance, from drowning to healing, and, ultimately, to peace. It’s a sound journey of spiritual fortitude, devoid of words but filled with feeling.

Though purely instrumental, the album carries a powerful narrative arc. The opening track, “Inhale”, offers a solemn, reflective mood. Awoseso’s piano strokes feel almost supplicatory, reminiscent of old hymns like “There is Power in the Blood of Jesus”. The soft, lingering notes represent that first deep breath, the crucial moment you stop running and start acknowledging the storm within.

That breath turns into a struggle in “Deep Waters”. The track’s oscillating tempo and occasional dissonant chords reflect the sensation of a soul wrestling to stay afloat. There’s no audible prayer, but the melody speaks of unspoken desperation. The piece swells and recedes like waves, building tension and then letting it slip away, capturing the brink of surrender and fragile hope.

“Letting Go” acts as a turning point. Here, Awoseso introduces brighter chords and less sombre phrasing. It’s a song of release: shedding burdens, regrets, and expectations. Though it retains a reflective mood, its tone suggests a tentative return to the surface, a metaphorical readiness to walk on water.

Healing, Awoseso reminds us, isn’t instant. “Slow Motion” depicts this gradual restoration. Lush, measured, and meditative, the track feels like morning light breaking through storm clouds. Its steady pace speaks of learning to trust divine timing, to embrace the process of healing without rushing it.

The final track, “Exhale”, offers catharsis. Sparse and almost metronomic, it creates a veiled, distant effect, like an exhausted but grateful sigh. The subdued notes offer a melancholic yet hopeful moment: a breath of relief after surviving deep, turbulent waters. It’s an ending that feels like closure and quiet strength.

Awoseso’s technicality on the piano is minimalist but evocative. His command of pauses, phrasing, and subtle shifts in the songs carries the album’s emotional tension. The pieces lean towards classical and ambient influences, with hints of gospel introspection. It’s a listening experience best suited for quiet moments, personal reflection, grief, prayer, or late-night contemplation.

Breathe is quietly remarkable in its honesty. There’s no attempt to mask suffering with grandeur or force optimism too quickly. Awoseso allows us to sit with the discomfort, recognise the burden of unspoken fears, and confront the loneliness that often accompanies life’s hardest seasons. “Deep Waters”, for instance, captures the exact sensation of struggling to stay afloat when prayers feel dry and faith feels thin. It’s a stark, beautifully human moment rendered through piano keys.

Despite the sombre nature of the album, Awoseso doesn’t leave us in despair. With “Letting Go”, he subtly shifts the narrative. The brighter, more resolute notes feel like someone quietly choosing hope. Not the loud, self-assured hope that ignores pain, but a fragile, trembling hope that dares to believe in the possibility of healing. It’s a reflection of faith not as certainty, but as survival.

The album’s pacing is another strength. By naming the tracks “Inhale”, “Deep Waters”, “Letting Go”, “Slow Motion”, and “Exhale”, Awoseso structures the human experience appealingly: Everyone, at some point, must breathe, drown, let go, heal, and begin again.

Across five thoughtfully sequenced tracks, David Awoseso delivers a wordless testimony about life’s inevitable storms, the ache of brokenness, and the grace that rebuilds what’s left in their wake.