Having been sick with the cold this week (which is why I wasn’t able to bring you the Martha Wainwright review), I was a bit worried I wouldn’t feel well enough to catch Hey Rosetta!’s show at Petit Campus last night. Thank god I got over it in time because the show was great. The band’s manager was also kind enough to offer me a copy of their brand new album that just came out last Tuesday. I’m happy to get a chance to listen to that and bring you the lowdown on this jewel along with the show review.

Hey Rosetta! hails from the rocky shores of St-John’s Newfoundland. I first noticed this band on CBC Radio 3 and almost immediately went out and bought their EP. Their singer has a beautiful, poignant, powerful and slightly raspy voice, which sounds just as great live. When I saw them last night, I thought that this band’s sound isn’t really what makes them unique. Their style is pretty similar to other Indie East coast bands. What makes them really great and special is how the songs have a way of sneaking up unexpected turns and surprises. You think it’s heading one way and then it just opens up into a totally different way.

I noticed that the imagery of a lion is a recurring theme, and I really do feel that in a way there’s a lion amongst the band. The musicians play with honest passion and nothing about the music is dull. I saw several smiles from the musicians while they were playing, which is truly great.

I really love the venue, but their shows start really early, and always on time. When I went in, it was still daytime. It’s a bit of a shame for the bands who don’t always catch the crowds they could if it started a bit later. The band’s performance didn’t lack energy, but the audience did. I thought the live show was great, but now that I’m listening to their album, I’m forced to wonder if they really lived up to what it could’ve been.

Sitting here this morning, I’m literally blown away by what the band has accomplished with Into Your Lungs. I had a pretty good knowledge of what the band was capable of, but this album greatly surpasses all expectations I had. I was surprised to find out that the record is produced by the wonderful Hawksley Workman. He does a extraordinary job and clearly put his talents to work when guiding this band to produce such an amazing record.

The album physically looks great. Before listening to it, I already had a feeling that the lyrics had something magical about them, kind of like a storybook or legend, and just as epic. They have a way of taking you into another world. Now that I read them, I feel that it’s not only magical, but also brilliant. The songs are like fantastic poetic chapters of an old classic storybook supported by very powerful music that swells and bursts beautifully. The music has a very wide and beautifully filled up mixing. Even though the sound of the band was good but ordinary at last night’s show, the record offers you an excellently polished version of their music.

In an effort not to ramble on and on about how great this album is, I’m simply going to strongly encourage you to go out and buy it. I think it’s probably one of the best releases of 2008.

Photos by SarahBrideau.com