Album Review: Hey Rosetta! – Second Sight
2 min read
Four years since their third studio album, Seeds, reached #1 in the iTunes Canadian album charts, Hey Rosetta! have released their highly anticipated follow-up, Second Sight. Now boasting seven members, the Canadian indie-rock exports have developed a full and intricately detailed sound that flows consistently through this new record.
As the opening track, Soft Offering (For The Oft Suffering) eases listeners into the album, what is immediately noticeable about this band is the clarity of their sound. The production of the album has been a considered effort by Marcus Paquin, known for his work with Arcade Fire and The National, among others. His involvement has lead to many parallels between Arcade Fire and Hey Rosetta!, however Hey Rosetta! come across as a little more laid back and unassuming.
Throughout Second Sight each track follows a similar structure that gradually builds upon layers of sound to produce complex soaring conclusions. While the second track, Gold Teeth, stands out for its sing-along chorus and upbeat guitar lines, this pattern is evident within the track. Midway through its tempo drops dramatically to stunning effect, building to a joyful climax that is reminiscent of Sufjan Steven’s complex, yet feel-good style.
There is a similar build up in the following Dream and the pattern soon finds its place as a staple in the band’s delivery. Dream is a catchy and enjoyable track, however it isn’t free of cliché. The anthemic call of ‘woah-oh’ in the chorus seems to be fast becoming an overdone feature of the indie rock genre.
Two of the more intriguing tracks on this album are Kid Gloves and Neon Beyond which both take a step away from the album’s overall sound. Kid Gloves is more heavily synth driven with a simple but powerful bass line carrying through the track, however it maintains the consistent song structure, gradually building towards the end to produce a full and effective sound. Followed by the bizarre yet thoroughly enjoyable Neon Beyond. Tropical and percussive throughout the versus, this track takes on an indie-pop vibe similar to Vampire Weekend, but is contrasted by its surprisingly heavy, roaring choruses, which make it a standout.
After a series of upbeat and laid-back tracks, Second Sight is capped off by the simple, yet moving Trish’s Song. A gentle piano based track, it provides a sensitive and touching conclusion to this impressive album.
While Hey Rosetta! may sound a little unoriginal at times, they have taken time to develop what is clearly a carefully considered and complex album, which overall is easy to enjoy and demonstrates a sensitivity and attention to detail across all seven members of the band.
