The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You (American)

 |   |  1 min read

The Avett Brothers: January Wedding
The Avett Brothers: I and Love and You (American)

This trio (and guests) is fronted by North Carolina brothers Scott and Seth Avett who recorded five albums before this major label debut on Rick Rubin’s American label.

Rubin -- producer of the Beastie Boys, recent Johnny Cash albums and now the Avetts -- was taken by this band’s honest emotions whose music is framed by acoustic guitars, fiddles, banjo, upright piano and the customary alt.country artillery. What sets them apart is the intertwining of the sibling’s vocals and harmonies, and the theme of those problematic words in the title.

The gentle acoustic Ten Thousand Words has the introspection of an early James Taylor (without the self-pity), January Wedding could have come from a brief time of optimism in a bleak Civil War film, and the string-kissed Perfect Space hits that naked truth Rubin was attracted to (“I want to have friends . . .”).

Musically there are echoes of a youthful version of The Band on And It Spread, a little raw angst which betrays their alt.rock origins (the punk-pop Kick Drum Heart, the New Wave-folk of Slight Figure of Speech) and Ill With Want is filled with piano-driven dramatic melancholy not too far removed from Elton John‘s Tumbleweed Connection.

No prize for the lumpy It Goes On and On though. 

Something old, something new, things borrowed and blue moods. Rubin’s instincts mostly sound right.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

King Krule: 6 Feet Beneath the Moon (XL)

King Krule: 6 Feet Beneath the Moon (XL)

While it's interesting to hear people banging on about "the 27 club" -- the coincidence of so famous musicians dying or killing themselves at that age -- it might be more rewarding to... > Read more

The Eels: Meet the Eels and Useless Trinkets (Geffen/Universal)

The Eels: Meet the Eels and Useless Trinkets (Geffen/Universal)

Wherein cult band the Eels get the kind of re-issue/repackage usually reserved for Major Big Name Acts: Meet the Eels is a 24 track compilation of 10 years from 1996 with a 12 clip DVD collection... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

JAMES by PERCIVAL EVERETT

JAMES by PERCIVAL EVERETT

If this provocative, award-winning novel were ever adapted for film the temptation for the soundtrack composer would be, when we reach the final significant words, to deliver a swell of emotional,... > Read more

LOU REED'S BETWEEN THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION: Boxed for you in '92

LOU REED'S BETWEEN THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION: Boxed for you in '92

Blame Dylan for box sets. It was his Biograph in November ’85 (16 unreleased tracks among the 53 spread across five albums, later three CDs) which began things by reaching 33 on the American... > Read more