The Rosebuds bloom on debut album

Sometimes, indie rock is high concept. Other times, you just make do with what you have.\nOn their debut The Rosebuds Make Out, The Rosebuds make arresting indie pop-rock with just a guitar, keyboard and bass. Maybe they're high concept, or maybe they couldn't find anyone else to play with them. However it happened, it achieves mighty profundity through a "wo wo wo" or a "ba ba ba." The whole exceeds the sum of its parts.\nSinger/guitarist Ivan Howard masters a bunch of attractive vocal styles: atmospheric Bryan Ferry, sardonic Morrissey and delicate Ira Kaplan. Combined with Kelly Crisp's keyboards, they are able to make their catchy pop songs sound fuller. No, just because they have keyboards doesn't mean they're aiming for new wave. They just use it to increase their options.\nThey bow down to indie rock purity, insistent in both beat and declaration and keyboards are along for the trip. The nervous, but not pitying, lyrics are all about getting girls' attention at various stages of a relationship, and while Howard might be unsure about girls, he's very comfortable where to put a chorus.\nHe'd like a girl who understands his rock and roll lifestyle, but he'll make do with what he has.