Hey Rosetta! prepare to rock the Bootleg Theater
It is strange to think that something so complex can sound so simple, but that’s the very magic behind Hey Rosetta! The seven-piece indie rock band released their newest album, Second Sight, this January . They will be accompanying the release with a North American Tour stopping in Los Angeles on March 11 to perform at Bootleg Hifi.
Hey Rosetta! currently consists of lead singer, guitarist and pianist Tim Baker, bassist and backing vocalist Josh Ward, lead guitarist Adam Hogan and drummer Phil Maloney, as well as violinist Kinley Dowling, cellist Romesh Thavanathan and horn player Mara Pellerin. Second Sight is the band’s first album in four years, and they took their time with good reason. The album sees them explore new aspects of their sound and expand their ability to infuse various techniques.
The band began after Baker returned from traveling the world with an arsenal of songs. He matched that with an army of musicians to bring his songs further than their acoustic origins. From the very beginning, Hey Rosetta! has garnered attention for their potential. Their 2010 album, Seeds, saw the band adapting to its new international fame. With Second Sight, however, the band has settled into its place in the music scene with a mature sound.
In cooperation with the Fogo Island Arts residency, the band released a short film of their live performances as well as candid videos of them exploring the island. The film incorporates standard indie scenes of empty roads, greyish skies, rocky landscapes and a background of a bleak-looking ocean. The band is also seen skipping rocks, playing around and generally humanizing themselves to their fans. As they play their music, it becomes clear that Hey Rosetta! is not one entity, but a collection of individuals who lose and find themselves in their instruments and come together like a puzzle.
Despite being a seven-piece band, Hey Rosetta! shows harmonious artistic coherence. Their music is not cluttered or overwrought, and the sound is built up in layers with a rich, spine-tingling result. In a world of indie rockers, Hey Rosetta! is not groundbreaking or trendsetting, but there is something in their simple, unassuming nature that makes them intoxicating. Their music does not rely on dramatic drops or overwhelming beats. What starts as soft, mellow indie swells into a wave of their original surround sound.
Their new album begins with “Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering),” a song about what the morning brings. Baker’s carefully crafted lyrics convey a unique, raw and honest sincerity. His rough yet crooning voice melts into the music. The song itself starts slow until the drums kick in. Then as the music layers in, it becomes buoyant. The beginning sets sets a positive but introspective tone that stems throughout the entire album.
The leading single for the album, “Kintsukuroi,” is a song for an ex-lover without the usual sorrow-filled music. It follows the bubbly-ness of “Soft Offering” with a bigger dose of rock. Baker sings to the past lover, “bring that summer on your shoulders/ bring that summer when I first saw you/ and that first kiss coming/ let’s just freeze the frame/ your blue eyes closing as mine were opening.” But the song is not a downer, carrying a sunny vibe instead. It begins with a fun and purposefully messy intro that transitions into a dance tune with synth tones reminiscent of early Bombay Bicycle Club.
The album closes with “Trish’s Song,” which is a solid display of Baker’s lyrical style. His lyrics are simple and use very few words while still expressing large and complex feelings. “Trish’s Song” is reminiscent of a lullaby. Despite being written four years prior, the song blends into the softness of the entire album. Baker notes that he was exploring a relationship that had ended a year before, and whether or not Trish is the ex-lover, it’s clear Baker still cares. Hey Rosetta!’s true originality comes from Baker’s ability to express many contradicting emotions at once — sorrow, loss, intimacy, joy and everything in-between. Baker sings, “I will watch over you/ nothing will go wrong / I won’t sit until you’re strong,” and the song does exactly that; it sits with the listener even after the album has ended, leaving a sense of serenity and grace.
Hey Rosetta! is not on a path to redefine music, nor is it creating a new genre. But Hey Rosetta! doesn’t need to. They encompass various interests, various emotions and various sounds, but the beauty with which they put them together is what defines them. As the album begins, it becomes more and more clear how easy it is to get lost within the harmonies of the instruments and the calming voice of Baker. Hey Rosetta! is known for its engaged and energetic live concerts. Their reputation for charisma and liveliness paired with the nature of their music promises a memorable experience.