The Rosebuds
Sand + Silence
WESTERN VINYL
4/10
The thirteen-year career of indie-pop duo The Rosebuds was established on the romantic relationship between Kelly Crisp and Ivan Howard, who began the group in the midst of courting, wed at the zenith of their career, and kept limping along after a messy divorce. Their sixth official album Sand + Silence finds the duo recording with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, but the results are largely disappointing. Windswept rockabilly pop songs such as “Blue Eyes” and “Death of an Old Bike” are a reminder of the old days, but “In My Teeth,” the title track, and several boring downbeat chamber-pop dalliances ensure that the album never fully congeals into something memorable. Crisp’s charming vocals are barely present throughout the album, so the dynamism between her and Howard has deflated. Despite some ’80s-inspired production tricks and a cadre of new contributors, Sand + Silence sounds more like an obligation than a passion project.
