Well now! This is not your cookie cutter collegiate a cappella release. Case in Point surely gave us the best three works from the group's supply tank — a former winning ICCA competition set — featuring creative design work and big time vocals. Unfortunately, a bit of unkempt production keeps the project from reaching stratospheric levels.

Arranger Andy Regli is the visionary behind Breakthrough, penning three pieces that manage to be provocative, atmospheric, and memorable. Regli also provides the low and moody solo for the opener, I Know What They're Thinking, but the balance is off enough that we can't hear all of Regli's notes. Her arrangement is certainly hitting everything right, especially her use of rhythms for emphasis. Miss You is absolutely fascinating, with elements of rock opera meeting cathedral singing. A haunting little reprise at the end has the listener instantly hitting "replay" to enjoy the piece all over again. Don't Lose Sight opens as a jazzy technical powerhouse with sizzling soprano swagger before transitioning into a joyful gospel anthem. Leads are credited to Sophia Bollar, Mitch Adkins, and "various group members”. That last credit is earned because everyone sounds tremendous here — four minutes of each voice giving 100%, on the clock and working overtime. One of the most common criticisms of collegiate a cappella recordings is that the background voices sound uninterested and static. Oh my goodness, get ready for this.

There are bits of audio inconsistencies in this release. You could call them recording remnants — cut-off problems, little cuts and gasps, some muddy soundscapes — that are distracting enough to notice. Overall, the effects applied are quite minimal here: mostly reverb with perhaps some tuning help, but the sound isn't clean and crisp. And when you have ridiculous arrangements and soloists who go the distance, the disparity is amplified.

All the same, huge respect for Case in Point. Breakthrough is mighty fine work.

Breakthrough is a testament to the fact that sometimes, small things can pack a mighty punch. Case in Point has produced a three-track EP that is grand in sound and massive in artistic concepts. What is most alluring about this project is Case in Point's unrestricted confidence in singing from an emotionally and creatively raw state, translating to exceptionally satisfying music.

Kudos are in store for Andy Regli, the sole arranger on all three tracks featured on Breakthrough. It is rare to experience a project where most of the tracks are stunning from an arrangement standpoint, but Regli weaves together three arrangements that are just that.

To open, Case in Point delivers a vocally seductive rendition of Amahla's I Know What They're Thinking. The track's rich and warm groove stands out above all else, making the vibe phenomenal. The backing vocals flow with ease, creating beautiful movement for listeners to get lost in. Add in Andy Regli's commanding and dominant lead vocals and you have a jam that feels "just right".

That said, the opener is a step below the EP's other two tracks, mostly due to technical setbacks. There are moments in the mix where the group outshines Regli's stellar vocals, causing the ear to strain to find her. More refinement in knowing when to highlight key vocal parts would help elevate this track.

Miss You is an absolute game-changer! Transitioning to this track after such an intense, energy-driven opener threw me for a loop with its choral and operatic opening. However, Case in Point set me up for an absolute BOP, coated in R&B goodness. "Dramatic" is arguably the best word to describe the ride this song takes you on. The song is ferocious and it has everything to do with the way the collective sound majestically supports the lead vocals of Zion Thomas.

Thomas has a grit and edge to his performance where anything done subpar would make the track feel inferior. The song is slick, packed with multiple call-and-response moments for everyone to play off, and a momentum that builds and builds. There is nothing lackluster about Miss You.

Case in Point shuts the house down with its closer, Don't Lose Sight. Honestly, the track is gorgeous ear candy. The arrangement is the most fun of the three tracks, incorporating some of my favorite musical elements — riffs, gospel, group cohesion, non-verbal elements — and more. The entire group shines! However, we cannot ignore what Sophia Bollar and Mitch Adkins bring to the table with their solos: Bollar with her insane range and dishing out stratospheric high notes, and Adkins with his smooth tone, which balances perfectly with all of the song's offerings. No description feels appropriate for what you feel after finishing the track, but if I had to describe it: utter joy!

Breakthrough is a short but impactful collection of songs that accomplishes a key goal of solidifying Case in Point as a talented group of singers with a unique sound to share. Go listen to it, now!

Case Western Reserve's Case in Point has delivered an EP in Breakthrough that checks all the boxes that you want from a record — high octane solos, smooth backgrounds, and tight, intricate arrangements that keep the listener engaged from start to finish. It's no wonder that the group won its quarterfinal in the 2023 ICCA with this set.

All three arrangements were written by Andy Regli, who is also the soloist on the opening track, I Know What You're Thinking. Her delivery is simply divine: both smooth and sophisticated, adding some little vocal nuggets for the listener to dig into. The way she comes out of the bridge into the final chorus on the upward slide, leaning into and really accenting the dissonance before the resolve is so well done that I have a physical reaction in my shoulders mimicking the move with every listen. You can tell the background singers have spent a lot of time with the phrasing of the track as well, with the bridge being a prime example of building from a pianissimo to supporting Regli's slide at a forte in that final chorus. It's just superb from start to finish and may very well be one of my favorite tracks that I've listened to all year.

The final song, Don't Lose Sight, is equally as impressive from start to finish. Soloists Sophia Bollar and Mitch Adkins have fantastic blend when they are together and are equally impressive when they are on their own, and the background vocals are right there to support. The call and response in the bridge is well done to match the energy that Bollar and Adkins give off, and I really like the use of claps and vocalizations instead of trying to force some vocal percussion in this track. It adds an extra element of uniqueness to the EP that I don't see on many releases.

And while I didn't give Miss You a full "5" as I did the other two tracks, the chamber choir-esque beginning of this track is simply gorgeous, highlighted by a nimble and piercing descant by Joyce Kim. I do think the second verse sounds a bit thin with just the solo and vocal percussion really cutting through, and I could have used a bit more support from the bass, at the very least. But, I'm really nitpicking here for anything to point out or criticize.

Case in Point has certainly "broke through" onto my radar in the world of collegiate a cappella, and I can't wait to listen to more EPs (and maybe a full album?) in the years to come. In the meantime, all three tracks will be added to my playlists.