The Avett Brothers

11.01.2006 -- Review by: Shaun Harvey

Scott and Seth Avett are no strangers to crafting gentle, touching songs that highlight vocal harmonies and inward looking feelings. Songs like �Pretty Girl at the Airport� from their 2004 release Mignonette and �The Lowering� and �Famous Flower of Manhattan� from this year�s Four Thieves Gone release are just a few examples of the budding songwriting talents and powerful vocal abilities that these two guys possess. On albums past, these songs have served as turning points or changes of pace from the Avett�s more boisterous and upbeat numbers. But with the release of The Gleam The Avett Brothers have packaged a brief tour-de-force of aching melodies and heart-felt lyrics into just twenty-one minutes of music from start to finish.

The songs themselves deal with the subjects of love, loss, and self-examination. The musical arrangements are sparse featuring the tender refrains of banjo and guitar. (Sarah Avett adds fiddle on �If It�s the Beaches�). The vocals, while quiet, are just as powerful as any the Avetts have recorded to date. And as song writers The Gleam showcases two bright, young, budding talents that only seem to be gathering more confidence with each new release.

Many of the album�s highlights are already becoming road-tested favorites at Avett Brother�s concerts. Song like �When I Drink�, �If It�s the Beaches�, and �Backwards with Time� feature melodies that stick in your head long after listening and once you learn the words you can�t help singing along at the top of your lungs. These three songs along with the opener �Sanguine� are my personal favorites, but there�s really not a misstep among this short set of songs. The only real disappointment is that it all ends too soon. Brief yet lasting in impact, quiet while speaking volumes, The Gleam is another testament to the rising genius of a band that is just beginning to take flight.