After a nice break, it's finally Avett Brothers week! And yes, I AM on a Bonnaroo artists streak. And that rhymes. I know. The guys are playing Coachella this weekend, but I'm counting down the everlasting days (54 as of today) that I get to see their pretty faces on stage in Manchester, TN.
To 'borrow' from Wikipedia - The Avett Brothers is a folk-rock band from Concord, North Carolina, made up of brothers Scott (banjo) and Seth Avett (guitar), and a dude named Bob Crawford on bass. "They are often joined on tour by cellist Joe Kwon. Risen from the ashes of Seth and Scott's former rock band Nemo, the Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the 'heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones.'"
I grew up thinking country was for nerds and hick-folk, even though bluegrass was in my roots (my uncle is/was in a bluegrass band that played at various family functions when I was younger). As I've gotten older, I've come to realize it doesn't matter if other people think the music I listen to is cool. This idea has opened me to new ideas and to trying new things. I've mentioned my infatuation with the fiddle, which has lead me to this kind of music, but I'm not sure if I've delved into my love of the banjo as of yet. My point is, little by little it has occurred to me that this kind of music really speaks to me, and that it IS cool, whether the powers that be tell me it is or it isn't.
A lot of this music is heavily emotional, and authentic. Maybe that's why I've read that you really must see The Avett Brothers live. (Your wish is my command.) Sometimes, the vocals overpower the music and offer contrast to the sweet or playful tunes they're churning out, but what started out a little bothersome for me became part of what makes this group charming.
Picking 4 albums this week was hard, mostly because they have a quite extensive discography since 2000 and because I was largely unfamiliar with most of those albums when I chose to study them. I chose 3 of their highest rated (deemed by rateyourmusic.com) studio albums and their newest one, which I was vaguely familiar with, and really dug in over the break.
Your required listening is as follows:
-Mignonette (2004)
Lots of banjo, a little raw, overall a great introduction to the band.
-Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (2006)
Mixes things up a little bit, while capitalizing on what they do best.
-Emotionalism (2007)
A really solid album, more of what I love and hope you will.
-I and Love and You (2009)
The band's major label debut, rated very highly by everyone but Pitchfork, is a crisp album with pretty melodies and softer lyrics than what we're used to.
P.S. I know this is late but if you can't find or haven't been able to listen to Mignonette (I know it's hard to find and I've only found it on Grooveshark), go ahead and focus on the latter three albums for your comments, no biggie :)
ReplyDeleteThis album was a little hard to get ahold of, and since I was only able to listen on Grooveshark, my review here will not be as extensive or knowledgeable as the others.
ReplyDeleteI think the album starts off strong with "Swept Away," which is kind of a sweet folksy intro to the band. You'll notice they don't stray too far from their gold over these 4 albums. "Nothing Short of Thankful" picks up the pace with some fun bluegrass. One of the strongest tracks, I think, comes in the form of "At The Beach" which sounds so familiar I almost think I've heard it in a commercial or something before. It sounds almost Hawaiian or has a very vacation-y feel to it. Oh, how I could use a vacation...
For as little as I've actually been able to listen to this album, I like it a lot. I'm going to have to find it somewhere, bottom line...
I have to say, I found it interesting, the song called "The Day Marvin Gaye Died" - I don't know why but I guess you don't expect to hear a song about Marvin Gaye in this kind of music.
Overall, great first (I guess you could) impression after this.
"Talk on Indolence" starts off kind of abrasive, but really sinks into that sweet spot further into the song. It took a couple of listens to get used to/to love his voice, but now I really like the song. "Distraction #74" is one of my favorite songs of the week. The tune is familiar - I can't quite put my finger on it, but the story is interesting as well - there's a lesson to be learned here boys. Nothing good can come from cheating.
ReplyDelete"Sixteen in July" sounds like a song Beth would really like from all the folk picks that she's made thus far. I will be surprised if she doesn't like this track.
"Left on Laura" is a great song, plus my name is in it. I really like the tune and haven't listened to the lyrics as closely as some of the songs that have stuck out more to me this week. "Pretend Love" is a pretty song, but also pretty depressing because of the subject matter. This week, I've been drawn more toward the more upbeat tracks in most cases. Like "Matrimony" for example. I love his voice and the intentional rasp here. The acoustic guitar is kinda groovy too.
This album is pretty solid because although I don't LOVE every song, there isn't a one I don't like. I just like the feel and the authenticity of this band. And I can't wait to be sitting out in the hot Tennessee sun and taking it all in - these guys fit perfectly into my "perfect" Bonnaroo scenario.
"Die Die Die" is one of my favorite tracks of the week, for the simple fact that it's highly catchy. "Shame" is one that had to grow on me after a few listens. I really like the harmonizing and the emphasis on the lyrics/voice - the music is kind of dimmed down in the background in the beginning.
ReplyDelete"Paranoia in B-Flat Major" is probably my absolutely favorite song of the week. The banjo work is impeccable and adds something really special to the song, I love the lyrics and the singer's voice, and all the changes in emotion he throws in there. This song just plain rocks, no doubt about it. Something about hearing a dude scream precede some sweet banjo licks just does it for me I guess.
"The Weight of Lies" is one that has really grown on me in the past two days (I confess, I've been listening for two weeks now). My favorite part is the chorus, "When you run make sure you run to something and not away from cause lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you anywhere." Kind of reminds me of Kate on LOST. Speaking of which, Thomas and Beth, if you've watched more episodes you must let us know what you think!!
Moreso than "Four Thieves," there is not a single boring track on this entire album. This is probably the strongest album of the week in my opinion. Although it's the earlier tracks on the album that had me hitting repeat a million times, I could listen to this solid for a long time and never get sick of it.
Easily the most accessible of this week's albums (the band's first on a major label), this is the one I was most familiar with going in. I thought I had read that this wasn't supposed to be as good as the others, but other than better production quality, I don't think they sold out or changed their sound much (except you get a lot more of the keyboard on this album versus the banjo on the others). The Avett Brothers here are the same you got in "Four Thieves," for the most part, if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteThis album did have a sweeter tone for me - where in the other albums it was the upbeat tunes that had me coming back for more, it was the sweet, slower ones here.
"I and Love and You" starts the album off strong. I love the keyboard and the tone of his voice. You get the banjo back for "January Wedding," which was one of the first songs I fell in love with. I find it interesting that he keeps saying he loves things cuz they're "simple" because that's one of the beautiful qualities of this song - simplicity. When things pick up, it sounds like a wedding dance, or reminds me of one.
My first obsession this week came in the form of "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise." I love the lyrics. I love the buildup. I love the chorus. I love the message. I cannot stop listening to this song."So I screamed till I died, and at last all those bad thoughts are finally out." - Perfect description of how I feel sometimes when I get frustrated. Good anger therapy. Then it goes back into "There was a dream," which is a little glimmer of hope for this person who seems pretty depressed.
I'm going to have to leave here soon for a doctor's appointment so let me hit you with one more and and ending thought and I'll leave you.
"Laundry Room" comes in second only to "Paranoia" as my highlight of the week - and mostly for a part that only lasts seconds at the end of the song. The song itself is beautiful and the keyboard is beautiful - but it's that bluegrass breakdown that "breaks the tired routine" around the 4:10 mark that reveals the true beauty of the song.
The rest of the album is solid as well, a theme for me this week - and I can't wait to see these guys on the farm.
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ReplyDeleteI have heard a lot about the Avett Brothers but have never really listened to them. Thomas’s step sister and step brother highly praise the group so I was eager to get into this week and see what I was in for.
ReplyDeleteWhen the first song on Mignonette starts playing I hear a very folky vibe to it. Then I am suddenly surprised by the voice that is coming at me, it is not a typical folky voice, but much more like a country singer. The other thing that stands out very strongly is that the sound is almost being shouted at me. It may be because I am so used to a more subtle voice, but the loudness is a little put offish for me. “Nothing Short of Thankful” is fun and unexpected. It definitely hits the spot if you are in the mood for some hoedown music. I just recently have really gotten into bluegrass/banjo music so I definitely like that aspect of their music. “At the Beach” is a fun summertime song, talking about life and taking some time away from our everyday life to enjoy. I have to admit I have skipped around on albums this week, and by far this is the hardest of the four for me to get into. I think that it has a little more of a country vibe and it really just does not stand out very much for me. In “Please Pardon Yourself” I thoroughly enjoyed the instrumentation in the background, and can honestly say that I would love the song if the vocals were not there. “The Day that Marvin Gaye Died” was another track I enjoyed. I liked the storytelling in the song, and the nice laid back feeling to it.
The next album starts off with a bang in “Talk on Indolence.” I like the mix of genre’s in this song. That is what I am coming to appreciate about the Avett Brothers as an artist is that they are never just one type of style but a mix of a whole slew of styles. This goes from rap to rock to country, and just keeps you wondering what will come next. “Colorshow” is quite interesting and makes me think of Thomas when I listen to it because of the screaming. Something I never thought would go hand in hand is country style music and screaming. “A Lover Like You” is a sweet song, and I could easily see it being sung by someone like Jason Mraz. Not saying that the Avett Brothers don’t sing it well, it just reminded me of something he might sing. “Pretend Love” makes me think of an old western bar, and a whole bunch of drunken cowboys sitting around crying about their women. It’s simplistic and well sung, I can definitely say that I like there more somber music just because it sounds more like singing than shouting. “The Lowering” shows the much more solemn, somber side of the band. I think it sounds very pretty, it does however leave me feeling a little on the sad side but that is what music is all about anyways, making you feel a certain way. I must say I really love the instruments used in each song, from the harmonica to the banjo it really gives it a fun vibe and impresses the fact that this music could have been made a century ago, but yet can appeal to a current audience. “40 East” really shows off their harmonizing skills, which is something you notice a lot of in all their songs. While I definitely like this album better, I am still not sure what I think of the boys yet. To be continued…
I went a little out of order this week.
ReplyDeleteThe Avett Brothers certainly do not fall into the genres that I typically listen to. In general, I feel Emotionalism is Vampire Weekend gone country. I do not like much country music, so it was difficult to listen to the first time through. As I put a few more listens in, I did find that there were actually quite a few hooks in these tracks and that there were several components within their stuff that reminded me of artists that I listen to. The album itself sounds as though they just recorded it live and does not have an over-production feel to it. I think this gives the group a more honest feel. I also think that you can feel that they are having a lot of fun on this album despite their song-subjects focusing on lost-loves. ‘Shame’ feels like a complete knock off of Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble.” Despite sounding like Elton John’s ‘Crocodile Rock’, ‘Will You Return’ is probably my favorite track on the album. It is probably the most upbeat and was one of the songs that I found myself humming long after listening to the album. While getting dumped is a pretty popular song-topic and has probably been restated to death throughout the years, ‘I Would Be Sad’ was one that I really felt was sincere and I could feel the hurt that the vocalist was feeling. I also liked ‘Pretty Girl from Chile’ and ‘Pretty Girl from San Diego’. This album definitely grew on me from the first listen and I can picture pulling this out in the future and following this group.
Four Thieves Gone gets off to a really rough start for me as it really feels like they are experimenting on every single track. This feels like a big bag of songs from a lot of different genres and I have a hard time grasping who they are as artists. ‘Talk on Indolence’ is so upbeat that it feels out of control and uncomfortable for the group. I also disliked ‘Pretty Girl from Feltre’ as the lead singer’s vocals were probably not meant to try and hit the high notes they were going for. I felt it was very difficult to listen to. I usually love screaming, but like Fall Out Boy, this group needs to stay away from that as the screamer is just not good at it. ‘Distraction #74’ is a pretty humorous song about juggling two women and ending up with none of them. Not typically a subject you hear outside of rap. ‘16 in July’ was completely different than the first 4 tracks, and left me thinking about my pimping days at age 16 in July. I owe it all to that sexy Nova I had. ‘Pretend Love’ sounded like a super old-school country song and I guess was just one more genre they wanted to touch with this album. ‘Matrimony’ sounded like it could have come off of a Rolling Stones album as the lead singer had many similarities to Mick Jagger. ‘The Lowering’ was my favorite track on the disc. It was very similar to ‘I Would be Sad’ in that you could really feel the remorse and guilt he had for not being there for his depressed friend. ‘The Famous Flower of Manhattan’ was another emotional song that would have fit right in with Emotionalism. I usually don’t feel the need to comment on this many tracks, but each track is so different from the one before it. They each have their own identity that this album, while confusing, does hold my interest. I think they show on this album that they are certainly talented and well rounded musicians, but also that they have some limitations to their abilities. This was quite different from the first album and only 2-3 tracks really confirmed that I was listening to the same group.
I and Love and You again started out with a changeup from their previous efforts. The title track was a happier one with a message where he actually gets to be with his mate. I also felt the name of the track was quite clever. ‘January Wedding’ continues the happy message where he is now proposing to that mate. Outside of the message, the music itself is in line with previous efforts and they give us a sense that the experimentation is over. ‘And it Spread’ was also a clever track where each verse is focused on a different item spreading, the last of which was love to the world. ‘Ten Thousand Words’ was the first non-positive message song that I noticed about how we often stick our noses in other peoples business and project ourselves as experts on things we know little about. I felt this was an interesting take on the subject as I share the opinion of ‘know-it-alls’. ‘Kick Drum Heart’ was probably the first corny chorus that they have put out. ‘Ill With Want’ is my favorite track on the album. It is a very sincere track about hating how greedy we all are and how natural of an emotion it is. ‘It Goes On and On’ is probably the most fun and catchiest track on the album. A lot of those hooks on the Emotionalism have not existed until this one. I and Love and You did show some growth to the group both in song writing and knowing what their niche is musically.
ReplyDeleteMignonette is much slower and much more country than any of their future albums. It starts off with a real snoozer in ‘Swept Away.’ ‘Nothing Short of Thankful’ contained a lot of the poor screaming that I mentioned in Four Thieve Gone. At the Beach is the first upbeat track that really reminds me of the Vampire Weekend reference I mentioned before. Letter to a Pretty Girl was pretty corny and I was wondering what route they were taking to get to Missouri. The vocals on ‘Please Pardon Yourself’ were pretty rough and were comparable to the screaming as far as difficulty to listen to. ‘Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane’ had the best story of the album and was probably my favorite track. The last half of the album is very slow and often bland for me. As Laura said, it is a good introduction to the band, but after listening to this one, I have a much deeper appreciation for the other three albums we reviewed this week. I just don’t understand the hype that a lot of the reviews that I read suggest.
I am surprised that this group grew on me as much as they did this week. There were some very high moments for me and also some very low ones. I think they are very good story tellers and that they have some very relevant song topics. I generally think country and picture someone in a cowboy hat singing about fishing with their granddaddy while pickin their banjo strings. This was definitely not the case this week and I am able to see why this group is so highly touted. You will have to let us know if the live performance lives up to its hype.
I’ve grown up with parents whose record collection inevitably helped me to appreciate country and folk music, my fathers more so. There is a simple, undisturbed beauty that folk and bluegrass music possesses that I gravitate to. I’ve heard very little of the Avetts before this week, but what I’ve heard I’ve liked, and their live show is becoming well known as a must see. This will serve as a warm-up for Bonnaroo.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Beth in that “Swept Away” is a little off putting with the unnecessarily loud vocals, that aside, it’s a beautiful song. The movie O Brother Where Art Though and the Soggy Bottom Boys immediately come to mind with the ramblin’ tune “Nothing Short Of Thankful”. Seth’s voice has grown on me by the third track and you can clearly see they were leaders in this rebirth of multi-vocalists and folk-harmonizing that is being championed today by Fleet Foxes and Local Natives. It took me a minute to realize whom the Avetts remind me off but I think, Laura, you might like The Wood Brothers; they have a stripped down sound with Mike Wood of Medeski, Martin, and Wood on bass. I’m a fan of Scott’s banjo playing as it creates a bed for Seth to lay his lyrics on. Joe Kwon’s Cello on “Pretty Girl at the Airport” is understated and haunting. This is a sound that, if you don’t like it, becomes boring and repetitive; fortunately I dig it. Heartbreak is a huge theme throughout the album, which lends itself to the earnest approach they take on most songs. I enjoyed Mignonette.
Four Thieves Gone starts off like an Avett Brothers musical or rock opera with the over-the-top, theatrical “Talk of Indolence” followed by the ballad of the “Pretty Girl from Feltre”. The sequencing of these songs reminds me of a Decemberist’s album. The album evens out after the interesting start and we get back to the sound they crafted on Mignonette. “Pretend Love”, to me, is a tribute to the king of the cattle call, country crooner Eddy Arnold; it is by far my favorite track from them. Before you get too cozy with the slow folk offerings, they shake the foundation with a subject of turbulent life changes involved with “Matrimony”. The harmonica is a welcome addition to the Avett’s sound on one of their more cleverly written songs “The Fall”; the part where Seth sings about telling death that he’s not home when he comes knocking on his door is great. “Famous Flower of Manhattan” is also a great selection about not trying to change the people you love or care about because it may not be in their best interest. Throwing in Ramones inspired tracks like “Gimmeakiss” endear the Avetts to me because it shows a real enjoyment in their music making and it comes through clearly in tracks like this. This album was another very enjoyable listen.
“Die, Die, Die” is a pop tune, done Avett style, that could easily be mistaken as a cover of a Weezer song. “Shame” is the first song I ever heard from the Avetts and it is something that could have been written well over 100 years ago, timeless music like this will secure their musical legacy. “The Weight of Lies” is powerful songwriting, and shows how lies will always catch up to you and how showing your vulnerability is actually a display of strength. One thing that is very noticeable on Emotionalism is how the songwriting has really blossomed. “The Ballad of Love and Hate” is a situation I’m sure most of us have seen with the good woman who’s with a jerk that doesn’t deserve her. The piano arrangement and harmonizing on “Salina” is beautiful. The way the Avetts are able to maintain their distinct sound and at the same time expand it and build upon it is refreshing. “Pretty Girl From Chile” is an example of them venturing into a Latin sound with great results. The production is much cleaner and the sound benefits greatly as this seems like a culmination of hard work. Although considered a “folk “ or “bluegrass” band, they don’t very often rely on the harmonica, piano, or fiddle; the sparing use of these instruments like on “Go To Sleep” carry a greater weight when they are included. These guys have really grown on me.
ReplyDeleteYou know you’re doing something right when Rick Rubin (Slayer, Run DMC, Johnny Cash) is producing your major label debut album. There is an instrumental layering near the end of I and Love and You’s title track that has been missing from their previous work that really fills out their sound. Rick Rubin is one of the greatest producers of our time because he doesn’t try to alter the sound of the artists he works with, he simply nurtures their ideas and builds upon what makes that artist great. Seth’s voice is balanced more evenly with the music, instead of dominating the track like he had the tendency to do on previous albums. “Kick Drum Heart” may be a little too poppy for a die-hard Avett fan but it is followed up with “Laundry Room” which fits in perfectly with their extensive catalog of country tales. “Slight Figure of Speech” is one of those fun songs that feel like a sort of spur of the moment jam during a recording session. The Avetts have found their sound, it’s one that they’ve had a grasp on for some time, but it is a formula that has only needed tweaking as the years have passed. I now have another “must see” band to add to my list for Bonnaroo this year.
Emotionalism starts off with the song, “Die, Die, Die,” which I have to say has grown on me quite a bit. For me this sounds quite a bit different than most of the stuff I have heard up to this point. It is really catchy and I really like the harmonies near the end of the song. I am really hopeful that this will be the album that makes me a fan. On to “Shame” and I again am pleasantly surprised, while it gets off to a slower start the tempo does pick up as the song goes along. I could easily find myself singing along to this once I knew the words that is. So far we are 2 for 2, Hooray! Track 3 did not do so much for me, however “The Weight of Lies” is another catchy tune. I really enjoy the guitar, and it seems that the shouting I heard so much in the first album is starting to get a little more subtle. “Pretty Girl from Chile” plays out like some sort of musical. Starting off with the more country beginning, then going into the Spanish serenade and then ending with the big rock out at the end this song really is interesting and not at all what I would have expected to hear from the brothers. The next few tracks are good but don’t really leave me with much to say about them. “One Line Wonder” sounded very familiar for some reason, not sure where I would have heard it before, but I will say it’s another song where I really like the instrumentation that gives off a very folksy feel. This album is by far my favorite, and it did a lot to lead me on the path of becoming a fan.
ReplyDeleteThe title track for the last album I have heard before and think it is very beautifully done. This song reminds me a lot of something David Gray would sing, and I am a big fan of his. I also like the song “January Wedding “and the only complaint I have about it is that it seems a little too repetitive, almost as the song never really grows. This music does remind me of my dad, and I can picture him playing his guitar to stuff like this. I wonder what he would have thought of the Avett Brothers. I agree with Laura in that Head full of doubt/Road full of promise has a very nice message and is easily relatable for a lot of people. “The Perfect Space” is another song that I can really relate to, especially the very first line, where it talks about wanting friends you can trust that like you for who you are. I relate to that in the fact that I do not have a ton of friends but the one’s I do have like, me for me. “Kick Drum Heart” was quite a bit different than anything else I had heard from the boys up to this point. It has a very poppy sound, and I am wondering if we will see more of this on future albums. I actually think that they should stick with the more country/folk sound that they are known for. The rest of the album was pretty good, but I think overall Emotionalism was my favorite album of the week.
Overall I think I am going to have to give these albums another go around, I think the more I listen to them the more I will like/appreciate them. They are quite unlike anything else we have listened to thus far so I am really glad Laura brought them to our attention.
The Avett Brothers are definitely, at most times, a very entertaining band to listen to. They take banjo heavy bluegrass music and inject it with a modern indie pop sensibility and throw a bit of a punk influence into it as well. Over the course of listening to their albums, I definitely prefer the more upbeat, loud songs to the ballad types.....these guys are really fun when they 'rock out'. I can really imagine them being a fun band to see perform live, and if no major conflicts arise at Bonnaroo this year, they're definitely a band I'd like to check out.
ReplyDelete'Four Thieves Gone' kicks off with one of the bands heavier songs, and once it gets going it finds a really nice groove that is fun to listen to. The singing is really out of tune in a lot of places with these guys, but it adds to the loose atmosphere and makes the music better for it. I can hear some Uncle Tupelo (a band from Belleville that later split to become the bands Wilco and Son Volt) in a lot of these songs, and that's a very good quality to possess. "Colorshow" is most probably my favorite Avett Brothers song, I love the mix of the bar piano and the harmonica....and the passion in the vocals is amazing. The screaming really fits this kind of music well. This is followed up by "Distraction #74" which features a nice section where each vocalist takes turns singing words in a verse and really shows the talent that all of the members of this band have. "Matrimony" has a great guitar riff that drives the song well and I can only imagine how good this song is live. The biggest surprise for me on the album was "Gimmeakiss" which sounds like a 70's punk song set to acoustic guitar and banjo....I can just hear The Ramones playing this song with electric guitar and it's amazing. Overall this is an extremely solid album, and has some pretty high highlights. I ended up scoring this album at 71%.
"Die Die Die" is a great way to kick off 'Emotionalism'....the chorus section before the "die die die" part really reminds me of Elvis Perkins. These guys really know how to write a hook. "The Weight of Lies" has a guitar line that sounds extremely familiar to me, and is probably my favorite of the Avett Brothers ballads....the shuffling drums are great in the song. "Will You Return" is another of my favorites from the album, and has a chorus that's been stuck in my head for most of the day. "Pretty Girl from Chile" seems to be a pretty blah song for most of it's running time, but then all of a sudden at the 4:40 song, it shifts into hyperdrive and becomes a balls out rock song....it was one of the more pleasant surprises of the week. The album then goes into a bit of a lull until we get to "The Girl from San Diego", which is a really upbeat song with a guitar riff that strangely enough reminds me of an acoustic Modest Mouse, and then slows the tempo into a bit of Spanish influenced folk. "Go To Sleep" follows that up with good old fashioned party music for the country set....and it's a fantastic song. Overall this album was a slight notch above it's predecessor, and earned a very solid 72% on my scale.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought on 'I and Love and You' is that it's amazing that Rick Rubin produced this album. As a band that came from nowhere, self-producing their albums for so long, it's unbelievable that they'd one day have one of the most sought after producers in music helping on their record. The production values are immediately apparent on the opening title track, which is one of the most devestatingly beautiful songs in the band's catalog. There's a fullness to the sound that's been missing (although, I'm actual more fond of the rough sound from the past), and in the case of this song it works amazingly well. "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" reminds me of a mixture of a Songs:Ohia and Counting Crows (mostly in the vocals, although I'm not really a Counting Crows fan), and it really works for me. The production once again is a little difficult to fathom....it just sounds so different than everything from their past. The greatness of the song would work with any production values, though. "Kick Drum Heart" is a kind of strange song from this band, as it's easily the most straightforward pop song the band has ever written.....I'm honestly not sure what I think about it. There are parts of it that I like, and other parts that I can't stand. "Laundry Room" is another sweet, beautiful song....that's the biggest difference for me between this album and the others before it. The best songs are generally the prettiest songs on this one, and that wasn't true of the other albums. I'd been missing the spontaneity of the past albums, but "Slight Figure of Speech" finally brings that element of the bands sound back to great effect....it's easily the most fun song on the album. This was probably the most solid album from a very solid band, and it continued the trend of incremental improvement from the previous album, scoring a 72% on my scale.
Overall, the Avett Brothers were a very nice choice for this week. It worked well to get those of us that are going to Bonnaroo primed and ready to see them, and also worked to introduce the others to a great band. Their ability to fuse country/bluegrass with more modern sounds is great, and I will be looking forward to each new release from this band.
Edit: that was supposed to say 73% for the score of 'I and Love and You'.
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