Hailing from St. John's, Newfoundland, and with a reputation as a must see live band, Hey Rosetta! is another in the ever growing line of quality indie rock acts coming out of Canada. The six piece has not gotten nearly enough attention Stateside, but that slowly seems to be changing. Their latest, "Seeds", is a majestic triumph mixing dramatic indie rock with moments of orchestral and chamber pop. It's no surprise they draw comparisons to the likes of Arcade Fire, but yet again here is a band whose album I loved, while Arcade Fire's music often leaves me underwhelmed and unimpressed.
Tim Baker is the lead singer and main songwriter of Hey Rosetta! and in "Seeds" he's produced an album of maturity and lyrical depth. The music is layered in sweeps of beauty, moments of tension and plenty of emotion. It is definitely an album to be listened to from start to finish, as opposed to radio ready pap.
There's not a bad track amongst the eleven on "Seeds", and when it is over you feel as if each one plays its part within the whole of the album. Each feels essential, but there are of course standouts. "Yer Spring" starts out quietly before it blossoms into a blaze of violin, cello and guitar. "Young Glass" has a soothing chorus and serves as a shining example of the expansive production on the album. "Parson Brown" has a gorgeous piano and string-led intro before going into two separate movements, first a ballad before a full out, hard charging rock ending.
Hey Rosetta! has been nominated twice now for the Polaris Music Prize, an annual award given to the best Canadian album. "Seeds" is a 2011 nominee, and rightfully so. This is a band, and album, worthy of your attention and here is to greater exposure in the U.S. for Hey Rosetta!
"Seeds" was released in the U.S., as a download only, February 15, 2011 on Sonic Records.
Official Website of Hey Rosetta!
Purchase "Seeds" (MP3 download) from Amazon.com
Purchase "Seeds" on CD or vinyl from the band's official store
Comments