Rosetta – Wake/Lift
Translation Loss Records – TL23-2 – October 2, 2007
By Jason Jordan
The difficulty in tackling an ambitious, epic project – say, a double disc debut – is that it will likely eclipse the efforts that follow. Lending credence to that assertion is that
Rosetta’s
The Galilean Satellites left an impression that
Wake/Lift can’t quite live up to, even if it is a very good sophomore outing. Also of note is the overt success of the
Balboa/Rosetta split
Project Mercury, which was released in April on Level Plane instead of Translation Loss. All that aside, though, Philly’s
Rosetta prove once again that they’re a top contender in the Neur-Isis-inspired market. Unfortunately, that market is losing its appeal due to supersaturation.
While
Wake/Lift consists of only seven songs, the album lasts for over an hour. Similar to likeminded records,
Rosetta offer excessively long songs (
‘Red in Tooth and Claw’ [12:15],
‘Wake’ [9:27],
‘Temet Nosce’ [14:55], and
‘Monument’ [13:30]), and ones that could be considered short, which are limited to the three-part,
‘Lift’ series. Again, as this niche requires, they also employ the crashing/drifting dichotomy without sacrificing emotion in either instance. Somehow, the material tugs at the heartstrings even though it seems recycled. After all, the past few years have witnessed an influx of Neur-Isis disciples (TL has another frontrunner in the fold under the name of
Mouth of the Architect), and that’s what prevents me from declaring
Wake/Lift a necessary purchase. It is moving and powerful, however, in spite of its flaws.
Official Rosetta Website
Official Translation Loss Records Website
