SOUND BITES

There's a telling lyrical passage that stuck out to me upon listening to Newfoundland-based indie stalwarts Hey Rosetta's third full-length LP. During the uplifting, depression-battling anthem Cathedral Bells , singer Tim Baker exclaims, "the road is lit and I'm going home". It comes near the tail end of the album's most thrilling section of songs, during which the seven-piece (plus additional hands on deck for extra orchestration) take a formidable musical journey through several genres and moods. After exploring the arena-sized farthest reaches of Coldplay, the worldly rhythms of Vampire Weekend and the zealous, choral flourishes of Arcade Fire among others, it's the comfort of home that drives the group down the album's (pun intended, I suppose) home stretch. Long before we get to that point, however, we're treated to some of the band's most interesting material to date. The album starts with current single Soft Offering (for the Oft Suff...

HEY ROSETTA! Welcome From: Seeds Released: February 15 When you think of Newfoundland, you think of its lush scenery, rich history and friendly people.  When you think of Newfoundland in a musical sense, you think of kitchen parties, fiddles, and Great Big Sea.  Hailing from St. John's, six-piece Hey Rosetta! are one of those bands you'd be forgiven for assuming are just another of the wave of indie rock bands calling Montreal or Toronto home.  Indeed, they incorporate the big sounds of Canada's best-known musical collectives into their third album Seeds , but there's also an overlying sense of neighbourly compassion and communal play that absolutely screams Newfoundland.  They didn't have to bring fiddles into the proceedings (although, by times, they do) or sing traditional sea shanties to beam with provincial pride.  Sometimes, all it takes is a bandwide brotherhood, heartfelt performances and an intelligent, soaring brand of universally recognized r...