_{By Michael Luce}

Even if you’re extremely tuned in to the local scene, you may have missed the release of Health Care’s Totality last August. Promotion for it was extremely limited because only four days after it came out, three quarters of the group left on two-year mission trips for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Thanks in part to these upcoming life events, Totality was built from the ground-up on a foundation of sincerity, openness, and collaboration. Each song was assigned an emotion, and parts were written to match those themes. Once written, the album was recorded live, with all four members performing their parts in the studio simultaneously. Drummer Kade Cook explained that the band had to be perfectly in sync with each other, and lead singer Alley Greer added that working together like that made the album truly authentic. “That’s probably one of my favorite parts about Totality,” she said. “It’s not perfect!”

From the fiery opening riff (and goofy time signature) of “Fall Behind,” it’s clear what kind of party this is. Instead of just blending different styles together on Totality, Health Care’s inspiration is displayed in a piecewise manner, with chunks of songs feeling reminiscent of other bands before the next section switches it up.

From Zeppelin-style riffs to Rush-y chord progressions, Health Care clearly appreciates the rock greats from decades past. They evoke (to name a few) Foo Fighters, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ozzy Osbourne, Janis Joplin, The Who, and Muse, but their music never feels derivative. Rather, Totality’s sonic patchwork is a love letter to those who made the music they enjoy. I could see how someone could find the style jarring, but I think it works perfectly; it gives Health Care a unique sound, and I love how they aren’t afraid to play the music they want to. 

I would highlight what makes each individual song great, but then reading this review would take longer than just listening to the album yourself. “In the Eyes of All”, which immediately draws comparisons to Blue Öyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” thanks to its equally distinctive arpeggiated guitar riff, is probably my favorite here. The track has a killer edge while still avoiding being pointlessly edgy. That said, “What a Shame” through “Home Free” might be my favorite three song stretch on any album from 2023.

“No one’s here / What a shame … Who knew I’d be the one to throw it all away?” Alley cries on “What a Shame,” and the rest of the band matches the ferocity as they crescendo and accelerate to an explosive finale. This is followed by the heavily contrasting title track, “Totality.” It’s a beautiful solo piano piece riffing on the themes of “What a Shame” and “Home Free” and is far more than just a nice segue between the two heavy-hitters. The band follows that tranquility by launching into a driving beat/riff combo that immediately gives “Home Free” a sense of importance. The quartet gradually build into a massive wall of sound punctuated by a guitar solo that’s part Eddie Van Halen, part Slash and includes just a dash of David Gilmour. The song is truly epic, and my only complaint is that I wish it held that intensity through to the end instead of returning to the softer sound of the beginning.

Throughout Totality, Health Care present something familiar, yet unformulaic and unique. This album might not be everyone’s cup of Diet Coke, but it is seriously good rock music. I recently re-did my personal favorite albums of all time ranking, and Totality easily made it into the top 100. It’s easy to forget Health Care have only been a band for a few years because they write and record music like a group with a fifteen-year head start. They’ve endured backhanded complements like “good for their age” for a while now, and Totality proves it’s dang time we recognize that Health Care is just good. Period.

Make sure to follow Health Care on Instagram. You can listen to “In the Eye of All” below!