The Rosebuds / Utah!
Split 7”
Pidgeon English
Let’s all get happy! This 7” comes on fantastic butterscotch colored vinyl! The artwork is really cool, too. It’s got a really simple design of little boxes of various colors and shapes, against a plain backdrop of white. The liner insert is actually quite pretty, as well, featuring some very arty photos of both bands included on this split… I’m trying to say as many good things as possible before I get to the music…
How can I put this? The Rosebuds play music that teeters on hipster indie rock from North Carolina (ala the mid ’90s) and garage rock. Including synthesizer for good measure, they end up making… well… really boring indie pop that’s painful to listen to. The drums are too quiet, the guitars are somewhat interesting, but the lead singer’s “I’m a sensitive indie rocker” voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Their two songs here aren’t awful, but they’re just tired and pointless.
The Utah! tracks here, “Yonder, Down” and “Up in There, Man,” are considerably more enjoyable, but that’s not really saying a whole lot. Utah! play jangly emo pop, with a particular focus on warm guitars, which are in the forefront of the mix; this is a good move, as the guitars are very cool. However, the fact that the drums are buried in the mix, and the idiotic singer’s voice is super loud, are two factors that totally mar what could be a couple of enjoyable songs. The singer sounds like Ian Svenonius, without the creativity or spunk.
So, if you’re into cool artwork, you might enjoy this split. Otherwise, save your money for something that you’ll listen to more than once.
Pidgeon English Records: http://www.pidgeonenglish.com/
