The Rosebuds
Loud Planes Fly Low
(Merge Records)

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m one of those reviewers who thinks the best indie rock music comes from south of the Mason-Dixon line. (The only exception to this are bands that call New York City home.) Enter the Rosebuds: North Carolina indie rock darlings who relocated to New York in 2009. The Rosebuds’ 2011 release, Loud Planes Fly Low, helps to prove my point. While there are numerous sects and versions of indie rock, The Rosebuds prove that you don’t have to get fancy or psychedelic to produce good music.

“Limitless Arms” is a beautiful track featuring light strings and poignant lyrics. “I’ve carried too much/limitless arms hold tight…And I feel I’m reaching out for the last time” frame the futile beauty of this album. So beautiful is this record that it’s hard to believe its creation was in jeopardy after the divorce of Ivan and Kelly Howard, the duo behind the Rosebuds. “Without a Focus” is another stunner on the album, featuring lyrics we can all relate to (“I don’t know how I am supposed to feel”) and quiet, introspective vocals. Perhaps the greatest merit of this release is the sheer emotion it presents. While the album isn’t about a divorce or singular event, the album is about the raw emotions that occur moving throughout life. It is about moving on as “Waiting For You” signals. The song moans “I don’t want to spend the rest of my days/living in a world confusing to you…..and I tried to make a star/and I arrived on my own.”

Loud Planes Fly Low is perhaps the secret stunner of the year. Visceral emotion, gorgeous arrangements and a simple sound make this album one you shouldn’t miss.