Hey Rosetta! - Seeds

If you took the concept of "chamber pop" and adapted it in epic fashion for the big stage, you might end up with the music of Newfoundland's Hey Rosetta!. Originally conceived by songwriter/frontman Tim Baker as a way to put substantial meat on the bones of his solo songs, Hey Rosetta! has become one of the finest practitioners of intelligent, vigorous and sonically progressive "big picture" art/rock. With their 2008 album Into Your Lungs, Baker and band crafted a melodic masterwork of substantial heft and full-bodied dramatic power while providing a balance of intimate, intricate arrangements that draw more on folk/rock underpinnings.

Described by Baker as "a little more refined and mature," February 15 album Seeds was produced by Tony Doogan (Belle and Sebastian, Wintersleep). Lead track "Welcome" has a nice mix of dense sonic rock bluster and big melodic hooks, shifting atmospheres of intensity and slower, drifting passages finally culminating in an Arcade Fire-y blast of strings and austere guitar riffs. Thoughtful without becoming ponderous, songs like "Young Glass" and the dynamic title track incorporate Hey Rosetta!'s string section to fine orchestral effect but still retaining a propulsive, focused energy. "I think it sounds a bit bigger in places, a bit full-fledged rock'n'roll at times," says Baker. "But it still has plenty of soft moments and acoustic instruments."

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Hey Rosetta! - "Welcome" (from the album Seeds)

Hey Rosetta! - "Black Heart" (from the album Into Your Lungs)

Photo Credit: Jill Willcott