
The Rosebuds
Birds Make Good Neighbors
Merge
2005
B-

It's seems that the touring that The Rosebuds have been doing of late with Teenage Fanclub has rubbed off: tracks like "Boxcar" and "The Lovers' Rights" reveal an obvious influence. "Boxcar," for example, plys its trade on a simple guitar riff and catchy chorus: "But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little boy, and you're not crazy, you're just a little girl," which upon hearing many will find stuck in their head for quite some time. It’s not the lyrics, though, that work as much as it is the music: the brilliant hooks throughout Birds Make Good Neighbors make up for any lack of lyrical progression from their previous work. And musically, the song remains the same: The Rosebuds once again easily meld different sounds across the album, much like TheRosebudsMakeOut did, with its line-up of half-acoustic songs and half-upbeat electric tunes. Here, the only difference is the addition of the aforementioned blues.
The slower paced and acoustic songs, often laced with a repeating drum beat and a keyboard come into play on “Wildcat,” “Warm Where You Lay,” and “4-Track Love Song.” While these songs do some justice to the diversity of the album, the latter two (which close the album) are dull for much of their length. This is a change from the last time out: while the acoustic songs on TheRosebudsMakeOut shined over the electric material (most of the time), Birds Make Good Neighbors’s upbeat rock songs such as "Boxcar" inexplicably shine. "Blue Bird," one of the album’s highlights, interweaves all three of their primary genres in a beautiful way, making it an unforgettable and undeniable ballad.
All in all, The Rosebuds' sophomore continues where the first left off, with hook after hook grabbing you throughout the album. The trio from North Carolina will surely gain even more recognition this time out with another strong and memorable album. There seems to be something for everyone on Birds Make Good Neighbors, which is something often lacking in the indie pop genre.


Reviewed by: Mike Mineo Reviewed on: 2005-08-30 Comments (0) |
Recent Reviews By This Author | ||
|