The Avett Brothers snuck up on me only a few months ago despite their popularity among other crowds. And subsequently, in the span of very little time, I and Love and You got up there as one of the albums I was looking forward to the most this calendar year. So naturally, I was left wondering how exactly this happened. I thought it very well could have been the fact that I’ve gone into a much larger folk phase this year than usual. And for several folksy artists I’ve come to enjoy, that strain of thought can suffice. But then I realized that The Avett Brothers actually have that massive appeal that so many artists are looking for. They’re accessible while staying true to their roots at the same time. And nowhere is that more apparent than on I and Love and You.
I and Love and You‘s melodies make the album a standout from the get-go. The songs become sing-a-longs almost at once, especially heading into the third track, “Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise.” The transition from soft verses to full choruses dictates the sway of that song, as well as several others. What’s so compelling about I and Love and You, besides the celestial Scott and Seth melodies, is that we get a genuine sense of The Avett Brothers’ emotions through their diverse range of musicality. Some tracks have them getting loud without filling up the room in total euphoria (as I oft mention other bands do…which I enjoy), so they’re able to stick to their guns without going beyond their limitations, while also keeping soft lullabies as the underlying core.
This sense of diversity and transition is on clear display during “The Perfect Space.” The guys go from a slow piano ballad which readies itself to usher you to sleep (in a good way,) until it turns a corner a little more than midway through, as the brothers (and, of course, bassist Rob Crawford) break out into an almost power-pop finish.
I and Love and You isn’t an album that will throw the indie community head over heels as some may have been expecting, but that’s the way I like it. If they were to change their ways and go grand, it wouldn’t be The Avett Brothers anymore, and they’d only be fooling themselves and listeners like me. Rather, I and Love and You manages to hit the spot just right.
The Avett Brothers – “The Perfect Space” [MP3 removed]
This is awesome, I must find some more.