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reviewed for FasterLouder

From the americana stables come another group with high expectations born from glowing reviews and media hype. The Avett Brothers (Scott & Seth plus bassist Bob Crawford) aren’t new on the scene though, I And Love And You is their 6th studio album in the last decade, but they are just beginning to gain some momentum in the wider musical world. Their sound isn’t limited to american country and roots as they show across the album that they are well schooled in punk, rock, bluegrass and classic pop.

With disparate influences feeding their songwriting you get a mixed bag with this album. At their best moments they dig into a deep emotional well on songs like Head Full Of Doubt / Road Full Of Promise with its strings and swinging shuffle that make it a sure favourite for fans of Ryan Adams. They achieve the same effect on And It Spread and Laundry Room with their lilting, wistful melodies evoking lost love and wide open spaces. It is at these moments that The Avett Brothers are at the most impressive.

The flip-side to the brother’s rootsy ballads is their ventures into earnest power pop with a honky tonk enthusiasm thrown into the mix. Kick Drum Heart is one of those songs that are equally endearing and annoying like Wilco’s Heavy Metal Drummer. The cheese factor is high and in terms of album coherency they would have been better served omitting it in favour of something less grating. Tin Man and Slight Figure Of Speech are in similar territory, they are just a bit too happy and don’t add anything to a record that sets itself up as something else with such dark and brooding cover artwork.

The Avett Brothers are great musicians and the guitars and vocal versatility are certainly impressive. Where the record falls down is their ability to structure an album that carries weight and makes the listener pause and listen. Instead the bulk of the thirteen tracks breeze by like an easy listening radio station in the office background. They’d be best served to concentrate on the darker and slower songs where the blend is richer and ultimately more rewarding.