urgencytobleed | The Rosebuds - Loud Planes Fly Low

Loud Planes Fly Low is that rare breed of album - you know the type; you go in without any expectations but come out feeling altered, like you've just heard something you're never, ever going to forget. It doesn't happen often for me but when it does, it's such a spectacular, overwhelming sensation. Of course now I've gone and ruined the surprise by raising your expectations right from the start and I can't promise you'll feel the same way about the album as I do but go on, give it a chance, decide what you think for yourself and then come back and read the rest of this. If I can't convince you to do that, at least attempt to take the following with a grain of salt, as I am surely past the point of objectivity.

I can't say I'm very well-versed in the Rosebuds' back catalog but I get the feeling Loud Planes Fly Low is the sort of album that can only be described as career-defining, a singular crystallized moment when the perfect balance of elements is achieved. It's hard to believe something so beautiful can spring from such an ugly situation: Loud Planes Fly Low is the first album Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp have recorded together since deciding to end their marriage. Despite the circumstances, it's far from the dark, ultra-depressing listen one would expect. Though the lyrics, at times, can be quite emotionally crushing, the music itself is surprisingly buoyant and light.

Loud Planes Fly Low is bursting with inventive, criminally catchy melodies but Howard and Crisp never come across as show-offs. Instead, the songs are restrained and thoughtful, the hooks subtle yet unmistakable. "Go Ahead" serves as both the perfect album opener and the perfect four-minute encapsulation of the Rosebuds' charm, threaded with a wordless refrain that is instantly memorable. Much of the album follows in this song's footsteps, offering up dazzling little bursts of pop perfection that sound classic and timeless yet remain excitingly fresh.

"Limitless Arms" is smooth and sumptuous, coasting along effortlessly, all lush strings and subdued, meditative vocals. "Come Visit Me" is also a delectable earworm and, regrettably, the only song that puts Crisp's voice squarely in the spotlight where it more often belongs. The song sounds like something straight out of another decade, with Crisp's warm, nostalgia-tinged vocals reminiscent of Zooey Deschanel minus the cutesy quirk and nasal tendencies and the melody playing out like a long lost Carole King tune with a modern indie twist. In the second half of the album, "Waiting for You" is one of the most aggressively catchy tracks - it all but begs for repeated listens - and "Woods" offers up a bit more edge, which the duo delivers just as believably as the shinier sounds surrounding it.

Loud Planes Fly Low is never flashy or flamboyant; it's simply pop songwriting at its finest, which, to me, is one of the highest compliments imaginable. To craft a pop song that is memorable not just for a fleeting moment but for possibly years to come is a tall order indeed and The Rosebuds have crafted ten such songs - not only that, these are intelligent, intricately-structured pop songs that invite dissection as much as they invite the listener to hum along. Sadly, like most bands that truly deserve it, the Rosebuds will probably never receive widespread attention and acclaim. But perhaps that knowledge is what makes this album so special: Loud Planes Fly Low feels like a treasure. You might have to work a little harder to uncover it but the reward at the end will be far sweeter.