Review Summary: We're waving a new goodbye, our arms open wide
Hey Rosetta are a Canadian indie rock band, largely overlooked and unheard of outside of their home country. I first heard these guys on a local radio station, playing their new (at the time) single Welcome. On the surface, a song like Welcome isn’t anything that breaks new ground in the indie rock genre, it simply takes everything that’s tried and true in the modern indie rock scene and refines it into a concise and beautiful package. The same can be said about Hey Rosetta in general, as the band does many things that have already been done by bands such as Arcade Fire and Wintersleep, but in many ways they surpass their peers with tight song writing, smart dynamic switches and memorable climaxes.
Sporting a massive title that does not fit Sput’s database, Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) is Hey Rosetta’s sophomore release. At this point in the band’s career, it’s impressive to see how quickly they matured from their debut and how much tighter the songs are in comparison. Utilizing the usual rock band repertoire of instruments along with piano, strings, and occasional flute, the album kicks off with New Goodbye. This song immediately displays everything this band does well, with a soft acoustic intro that slowly builds into an absolutely massive ending. Vocalist Tim Baker puts a huge amount of energy into his vocals, taking inspiration from artists such as Jeff Buckley and The Beatles. This is best heard on songs such as There’s an Arc and Tired Eyes, where his full vocal range shines through during the 5-6 minute runtimes.
Hey Rosetta seem to put quite an emphasis on having their songs build to an enormous climax, and it shows in full force on this album. All but three or so songs have some sort of climax, and while this form of song writing can be exhausting to listen to when put in the wrong hands, Hey Rosetta do it in such a way that never feels forced or epic for the sake of being epic. The songs all have a natural and raw energy to them, especially on songs that take inspiration from 90’s alt-rock such as Holy *** (What a Relief) or Black Heart.
The album does lose a little steam towards the end unfortunately, with a fairly subdued duo of closing songs that fail to carry the album’s established momentum all the way through. While both songs are pleasant enough and well-written, it’s disappointing to see such an immense album full of highs end on a rather low note. Regardless, Hey Rosetta crafted a near-flawless collection of songs with their second effort that should be heard by anyone looking for some quality indie rock.
