September 2009

The Avett Brothers are set to release one of the best albums of the year tomorrow. Although it’s their sixth studio release, I And Love And You marks their first foray into major label territory with the Sony imprint, American Recordings, piloted by none other than master producer, Rick Rubin. If you’re concerned that the major label spit-shined them up for mainstream crowds, fear not. While The Avett Brothers’ sound is more grown up, they don’t abandon their trademark sound or Carolina roots for one second.

The album starts off with the title track, a piano ballad that is easily one of the best songs of the year. That rolls into the stripped down “January Wedding” before you get the first taste of Avett on a major label. “Head Full of Doubt/ Road Full of Promise” begins with a stringed arrangement that elevates you before pausing for the first lines out of Scott Avett’s mouth:

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

And that’s the moment when I knew this album was special and set apart from 2007′s Emotionalism. The previous album was full of intensity, covering themes of heartbreak, insecurity, shame, paranoia, lies and the futile escape from life’s problems. Even if you don’t pay attention to the lyrics,the underlying tension is felt in the music. It’s a great album, but its essence can wear you down emotionally. Hence the title, I suppose.

I And Love And You is the next chapter of the story. It’s about recognition, self-expression, actualization, acceptance and truth. It recognizes that lost loves may not return so the wise move is to step forward and find another. It’s about expressing desires, like on my favorite track “The Perfect Space,” where Scott says “I wanna have friends that I can trust/that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was” and brother Seth sings “I wanna have pride like my mother has/ And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.”

The beauty of this album is in it’s spirit. Unlike its predecessor which drowns in lies and doubt, I And Love And You is always uplifting, in both the foolhardy songs like “Kick Drum Heart” and in those with more serious themes like “Ill With Want.” That same spirit is also captured in their concerts which I can’t recommend enough. These guys are artists in every sense of the word. They write captivating songs and switch between guitar, drums, banjo and keys with ease. Scott Avett is also a spectacular painter and exhibits his craft in the album art for I And Love And You (above) with his oil painting, Julianne in Vain.

Not much else to say, but wow. I just love this album.

The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You (via Spinner.com)

Live Video: The Avett Brothers – Laundry Room

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