The Avett Brothers

11.01.2006 -- Review by: Shaun Harvey

The Avett Brothers are Scott and Seth Avett (Scott plays banjo, brother Seth plays guitar) and Bob Crawford, who plays upright bass on this, the fourth album from the trail blazing trio from Concord, North Carolina. At first glance you might think these guys are a stripped down bluegrass band from the hills of the Tar Heel State, but in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Those bluegrass illusions are gone by the album�s opening cut �Talk on Indolence�, which features the rapid-fire vocal interplay of Scott and Seth, delivered with what could be best be described as the harmony of an oncoming scream. The song soon builds into a rhythmic circus of guitar and banjo (which at one point finds Scott using the banjo head as a percussion instrument) before the whole thing comes to an end with a fury of muted screams and crashing cymbals (yes cymbals!) At this point, you can almost imagine the entire band falling into a heap, covered in sweat. That�s cut 1 and we�ve got sixteen more tunes to go.

By track four, the catchy, gallop-paced, �Distraction #74" we discover yet another facet of this band�s sound. This one bounces along in gentler fashion as the band sings about the trials of juggling the affections of two girls only to lose them both. A tale of woe? Hardly. You�ll be singing along with a smile on your face, reaching for the rewind button just to hear the song�s climax of cascading vocals as all three members weave the lyrics around your speakers and your head. Other highlights include the tongue in cheek ballad �Pretend Love�-delivered with straight-faced elegance, the harmonica and banjo driven good time romp of �The Fall�, and the tender beauty of �Famous Flower of Manhattan�, quite possibly my favorite cut simply because it�s quiet and wonderful, wrapped in Scott�s slow rolling guitar and well-delivered vocals and nothing more .

Four Thieves Gone is sure to please the adventurous music fan looking for something new under the sun and don�t let those banjos and acoustic guitars fool ya...this is much more than just another pickin� party. This is organic, honest, powerful, and at times, graceful music that is filled with punk growlings and soaring harmonies, and enough really catchy, melody-driven pop tunes to keep you coming back time and time again. With the Avett Brothers what you hear is what you get...and I for one, hope it�s just the beginning of what we can expect to hear from these guys in years to come. Add this one to your collection and while you�re at it...go see em live. To hear it may to take your ears to church, but to see it will make you a believer.

Visit the Avett Brothers Website