The tree of Justin Vernon continues to sprout new branches. After serving as a touring member of The Rosebuds in 2007, he and The Rosebuds’ Ivan Howard collaborated within the sizable soft-rock collective Gayngs. Vernon brought the North Carolina indie rocker and his partner Kelly Crisp up to his Wisconsin studio—a place presumably constructed as Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for indie music—for a more intimate partnership. The result is Rosebuds’ sixth studio album, Sand+Silence, co-produced by the prominent Eau Claire native.
On “Blue Eyes,” Vernon and Bon Iver band mate Matt McCaughan tackle duties on guitar, drums, and keyboard while Howard and Crisp spin rays of sunshine together into warming harmonies. While the jangly pop mixed with a bit of Motown maintains an upbeat tune, the lyrics are wistful and wanting. Driven onward by sweeping power-pop hooks, it’s a song that fits well as the days grow shorter. “Blue Eyes” is a feet-in-the-sand, sun-baked end of summer jam.