Beloved Newfoundland band Het Rosetta! may be on an indefinite hiatus, but its frontman Tim Baker is not.
Baker’s first solo album Forever Overhead isn’t a relaunch of the Juno-nominated band Hey Rosetta!. But while you listen to the 11-track album, one can’t help reminiscing about the band. It’s still the same familiar voice ringing through all the songs after all.
What’s different? The album is stripped down. At least for the first couple of songs. Tim Baker is now a one-man band and the album is also a bit less crowded by the energy of a band of seven people. It sounds a bit more solitary.
Now that Baker’s alone, he’s now drawn to thinking about the past. It’s nostalgic.
The first track “Dance” starts with a soft piano solo that sets the mood for the entire album. It’s Baker’s space to explore the past and coming to terms with his roots.
“I miss my younger years,” he says.
But he realizes he can’t go back.
The rest of the album is a contemplation on the past and his roots and a journey toward letting go of that.
“All Hands” explores a comforting memory from his childhood.
The fourth track “Spirit,” discusses hometowns and the people stuck in them.
Another stand-out track, “Pools,” is a collision with his past and present when he encounters a past girlfriend and realizes his past could become his present once again.
It’s the type of album one plays on the road through the rural Maritimes or chatting long nights away with a small group of close friends. It’s peaceful, thoughtful and intimate.
Forever Overhead is populated with piano, guitar, keys and backup vocals, basically all the same as Hey Rosetta! But this time it dives deeper. There’s no doubt about it though. Hey Rosetta! fans should rejoice.
By the end of the album, it seems Baker has found himself again. A full band plays behind him. The songs are faster.
“I always leave…when I got everything I need right here with me,” he says.
“My friends don’t let me leave you again.”
Tour Dates:
04.19.19 – St. John’s, NL @ Holy Heart Theatre* †
04.20.19 – St. John’s, NL @ Holy Heart Theatre*
04.23.19 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall* †
04.24.19 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall*
04.25.19 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall*
04.26.19 – Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre*
04.28.19 – Quebec City, QC @ Maelstrom*
04.29.19 – Fredericton, NB @ Wilmot United Church*
04.30.19 – Moncton, NB @ Tide and Boar Ballroom*
0502.19 – Charlottetown, PE @ ECMAs
05.03.19 – Halifax, NS @ St. Matthew’s United Church †
05.04.19 – Halifax, NS @ St. Matthew’s United Church* †
05.07.19 – Montreal, QC @ Le Ministère*
05.08.19 – NYC, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
05.11.19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Jalopy Theatre
05.13.19 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Danny Clinch Gallery
05.14.19 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java
05.16.19 – Boston, MA @ Cafe 939
05.18.19 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase
05.20.19 – Buffalo, NY @ Leopard Lounge at Town Ballroom
05.29.19 – Edmonton, AB @ The Station on Jasper*
05.30.19 – Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth Bar & Stage*
06.01.19 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom*
06.03.19 – Seattle, WA @ Columbia City Theater*
06.04.19 – Portland, OR @ The Old Church*
06.07.19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Hotel Cafe*
06.08.19 – San Francisco, CA @ Hotel Utah*
*with Charlotte Cornfield
† sold out