Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

Though ‘I And Love And You’ is the Avett Brothers’ debut major label release (American Recordings is an imprint of Sony Music), its sound and story are the culmination of years playing tiny bars for pennies, cranking out soul and punk-infused folk for anyone who will listen. Teaming up with producer and legend Rick Rubin for this sonically sweet LP, Seth and Scott Avett have proven they can redefine their sound without compromising their truly American spirit.

Any Avett enthusiast will tell you that their live shows are as much bombast as they are beautiful. In many early performances, cacophonous screaming and abused banjo strings would often distort the beautiful songs the brothers created, but not so much as to overshadow them. This album’s title track is evidence that they’ve changed directions. An easy-paced piano ballad about life on the road, ‘I And Love And You’ relies on the solo vocal prowess of both brothers, as well as the smooth strings from newly recruited cellist, Joe Kwon. The brothers finally prove to us they can make a point without shouting it. However, more upbeat tracks like the punk-ish ‘Slight Figure Of Speech’ and the aptly named ‘Kick Drum Heart’ showcase the pair’s ability to play folk songs with rambunctious North Carolina swagger. Still, on ‘Head full of doubt / Road full of conscious’, a weary Scott Avett sings, “There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in light / In the fine print they tell me what’s wrong and what’s right / And it comes in black and it comes in white / And I’m frightened by those who don’t see it.” More mature tracks like this one and ‘Tin Man’ demonstrate the brothers’ unpretentiously poetic songwriting ability.

Still sporting their signature honeycomb beards and southern romanticism, the Avett Brothers have nonetheless turned down the noise and expanded their repertoire. Constantly picking up new instruments and never playing a song the same way twice, they constantly remind us they are truly renaissance men. In fact, this album’s cover art is courtesy of none other than Scott Avett himself. These hardworking musicians deserve every bit of their newfound mainstream success. Check them out on their upcoming tour, and allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised.