On October 7, after a three year hiatus, all four members of The Rose came back with the purest celebration of music and a message for everyone who has waited for their return. HEAL is a 10 track album full of sincerity and love, made by The Rose to bring healing to their fans through music. Rather than being catchy or cool, every song is a different kind of balm for the soul. 

The album starts and ends with short, ambient tracks featuring water sounds. These tie in the idea of healing in a refreshing, realistic way. Especially through headphones, listeners can feel surrounded by nature. 

Between these moments of peace are songs that pull you in as deep as your emotions can go. “Definition of ugly is” is a heart-wrenching ballad about insecurities. It hits hard lyrically, but the vocals and melody are smooth and sweet. If no other song in the album makes you tear up, this one will. “Childhood,” the first single on the album, is about growing together and forging new paths. It’s a song that reminds you that life is short so you shouldn’t “focus on regrets.”

It is a soft album, overall, with songs like “Shift,” “Time,” and “See-Saw” really reaching those peak moments of passion and intensity that every fan wants from a ballad. Meanwhile, “Cure” feels like an homage to U2’s “Beautiful Day.” It has an atmosphere of hope and really feels like the culmination of what the album is trying to say. On that note, what makes “Cure” even more interesting is that this particular song sits right in the middle of the track list. 

The Rose teamed up with Transparent Arts and James Reid to create “Yes,” a call-to-action style song that is upbeat and beautiful. This anthem deserves to be the first track on everyone’s motivational playlists. “Sour,” the second to last track of the album and the last full-length song, has a lovely but bitter double meaning, using the pretense of the group’s favorite candy to talk about lost love. 

The Rose’s return was highly anticipated, and they exceeded everyone’s expectations with HEAL, a soundtrack to cry and laugh and live to. 

Watch the music videos for “Childhood” and “Sour” below!

Edited by Kelly Sipko