The Avett Brothers

05.16.2007 -- Review by: Shaun Harvey

There are probably going to be a few long time Avett Brothers fans who hear Emotionalism for the first time and think that there�s something missing from this new album in the form of the raw power and rough edges of past recordings. This record doesn�t have a "Please Pardon Yourself" moment as found on Mignonette or a "Talk on Indolence" thrasher like the one found on the Brother�s last full length release Four Thieves Gone. But to say that Emotionalism doesn�t have power would be an understatement. From start to finish, from the opening cut harmonies of "Die, Die, Die" to the last gentle refrain on "Hand Me Down Tune", the Avett Brothers have captured the beauty of Song and in doing so they have crafted an album that will certainly bring comparisons to Everly Brothers harmonies and the early genius song writing of Lennon and McCartney.

For their first four official studio albums, the Avetts have presented their music in the truest "Do-It-Yourself" fashion. Their records have exhibited a feeling that is quite similar to the unparalleled energy found in their live shows...not every note need be perfect because the expression of the moment will always overcome. That no-frills approach to making music has won the hard-touring trio from Concord, North Carolina a legion of die hard fans. What may catch long time fans of the Avett Brothers off guard as they listen to Emotionalism for the very first time is that the band�s approach to making a record has shifted and the results couldn�t be more rewarding. The entire effort possesses a crisper, cleaner, and more polished sound. Gone, for the most part, are the band�s signature growls and yells from records past, and what is left for the listener to take in may be the most important aspect of this band on the rise...namely the depth and genius that brothers Scott and Seth Avett possess as song writers. It is their ability to write songs that are both memorable and heartfelt that surely what will bring new fans into their ever-growing family of believers.

As you listen again and again, Emotionalism brings to mind words like pure, honest, and passionate. These songs resonate with all of these things and so many more. The record features new sounds in the form of electric guitar, Hammond B3, and mandolin but again what shines above it all are the words, the voices, and a much more focused, complete sound. Songs like "Die, Die, Die", Paranoia in B Flat Major", and "Will You Return" are acoustic modern rock folk songs that are joyous expressions of original, organic pop music in the truest sense of the word. And when things move to the quieter side, the Avetts shine their very brightest. On songs like "Shame, Weight of Lies" and the delicate and tender "Ballad of Love and Hate" the Avetts pick up where they left off on last year�s six song EP The Gleam by illustrating the beating, bleeding, and feeling heart of a band who is not afraid to tell their tales from the inside out.

Always playing by their own rules, the Avett Brothers and their latest release Emotionalism have broadened the very scope of American music and in just under an hour�s worth of music they have managed to create one of the best album�s of the decade. And while the band will continue to draw comparisons to any number of artists that stretches from Buddy Holly to Nirvana, from the Band to the Beatles, and on and on and on, you get the feeling that the Avetts just shrug their shoulders, take a deep breath, and huddle together arm-in-arm-in-arm under the dim backstage lights...for tonight they�ve got another show to do, another song to sing, and another hundred miles to go before they do it all over again. It�s one hell of a beautiful ride and isn�t that what Emotionalism is really all about?