THE AVETT BROTHERS

THE AVETT BROTHERS
I AND LOVE AND YOU (2009)
320 KBPS

Longtime fans held their breath when Rick Rubin took the Avett Brothers under his wing. What would the co-head of Columbia Records — a man known for his business savvy, rap-rock production, and resurrection of Johnny Cash — do with a small-time folk trio from North Carolina? The answer is "relatively nothing," as the band's major-label debut continues charting the same musical course as Emotionalism and Mignonette. The Avett Brothers have steadily expanded their reach since 2000, adding elements of pop and hillbilly rock to a country/bluegrass foundation, and they carry on that tradition with I and Love and You, whose songs introduce a newfound emphasis on piano and nuanced arrangements. Working with a major label's budget allows the group to add small flourishes — a cello line here, a keyboard crescendo there — but the resulting music is rarely grand, focusing on textures rather than sheer volume. Scott and Seth Avett share vocals throughout the album, delivering their lyrics in a speak-sing cadence that sounds both tuneful and conversational. Given the opportunities presented here — the ability to flank their melodies with string sections, organ swells, and harmonium — the two devote more focus to slower songs, eschewing the barnburning bouncefests of their previous albums for material that better displays such sonic details. The result is an intimate, poignant album, laced with rich production that enhances, not clouds, the songwriting itself.

1. I And Love And You
2. January Wedding
3. Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise
4. And It Spread
5. The Perfect Space
6. Ten Thousand Words
7. Kick Drum Heart
8. Laundry Room
9. Ill With Want
10. Tin Man
11. Slight Figure Of Speech
12. It Goes On And On
13. Incomplete And Insecure