AMG Review of Rosebuds Unwind [EP]

Tim Sendra
All Music Guide

The Rosebuds' Unwind EP is like a short version of their solidly exciting debut album from 2004, The Rosebuds Make Out. It mixes raucous rockers with dreamy midtempo ballads, both played with a minimum of fuss and a large dose of energy. The only difference on Unwind is that some of the songs have a heightened sense of drama, like the pocket epic "El Camino," which rides some very poignant chord changes to a powerful synth and distorted guitar climax, and "Unwind," which is a moody acoustic-based ballad that has a much deeper sense of emotion and feeling than anything on the first record. The flat-out rockers like "You Better Get Ready"(which has a humorous Sonny & Cher quote) and "I'd Feel Better" are really good, too, bursting with joyous energy, dancefloor-filling recklessness, and convincing vocals. Ivan Howard has the rare voice that sounds just as convincing on the ballads and the rockers; he is the duo's greatest asset. Even if the songs had been weak, which they most certainly are not, the Rosebuds would be worth hearing. The Unwind EP shows a band delivering more of what made it so promising in the first place, and adding some welcome sonic and emotional development, too.