Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/29/2009
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.
~Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
;)
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