By Emma Cohen of Indie Band Guru
Blooming like a flower in spring, the new album Hearts Bleed Goodbye by Typhoid Rosie is a breath of fresh air. The 11-track piece, released on March 25, exhibits all the key criteria of a pop song with a definite alternative sound.
This isn’t Typhoid Rosie’s first orchestra — the New York-based group was started six years ago by the husband and wife team of Rosie Rebel and Phil Wartell.
The two then joined forces with Matt Kursmark, Leah Farmer, Chris Potter, and Steve Capecci to create Typhoid Rosie. Perhaps it is the blend of such eclectic and talent people which make Typhoid Rosie and Hearts Bleed Goodbye so protrusive for the soul.
Typhoid Rosie — No Frills and No Filler
The titular first song on the album is humbly wonderful. The band doesn’t feel the need to overdo the instruments or push the vocals too hard to make it known how talented they are — they make it known by their use of restraint.
The tempo, which is somehow simultaneously slow and fast paced, paired with Rebel’s rich alto gave the music a deeper emotion. Imagine sailing on the ocean and being able to dive deeper; that is what I felt like listening to the deep lurches of the drums and drawn out vowels in the singing.
What was particularly interesting to this track was the old voicemail style introduction which gave me impression that the song was related to losing or missing someone.
This inkling was confirmed by the lyrics (“Shed her shell / And then she flew away. / Who’s gonna pray for me now / Now that my angel’s gone away?”). That it carries this loss yet is still so musically upbeat makes this song very impressive.
Contrasting to the prior song in genre but equally great is the track “Run Along.” From the beginning, it is clear to see that this song will be happy, thrilling, and empowering. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so unromantic and insensitive. Still, there was a thrilling independence and self-empowerment running through the tune.
In my opinion the guitar and drums are the real superstars of this song as they seem to be romantically involved; in the sense that they are teasing and leading each other on throughout the entirety of the tune.
Whatever “it” is for you, Typhoid Rosie is worth it. Each of the album’s tracks made me feel empowered, strong, and ready to take on the day or anything else. I love the marriage of vocals and instruments, the contemporary sound, and the overall atmosphere which the music gives off.
Hearts Bleed Goodbye may be just learning to walk, but Typhoid Rosie sure knows how to stroll.
