AOTW: The Avett Brothers - "I And Love And You" [UPDATE]

So this post is essentially me calling out Julie. Julie requested The Avett Brother's I And Love And You to be the Album of the Week a couple weeks ago. She promised that she would write the review since a.) she loves it and b.) I've never heard it before. I've heard a few songs by the band and know that they are pretty popular at this point, having built a very devoted fan base. I know they are generally classified as "bluegrass," although I'm sure they straddle a few genres. And for some reason, their album cover makes me think of a Daniel Day Lewis movie instead of a love album. That's it. So until Julie writes that review, you can find more info about the band/album here. You can find her review below. Enjoy!

Part of my motivation for nominating The Avett Brothers for AOTW is to get Matt to write about some music that I actually know and like. Of course that backfired and now I have to write about them, but the Avetts are worth it.

I have to give credit to my mandolin-playin', modern-hippie little sister for turning me onto the Avetts a year ago with my still-favorite song, Murder In The City. (Listen to it. Now. It’s amazing. But come prepared with a Kleenex). I am a late Avetts bloomer, apparently years behind everyone else in North Carolina. Scott and Seth Avett, two brothers from Concord, NC, started the band in the early 2000s, but their popularity has exploded in the last few years. They’ve gone from playing at the tiny 600 person Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill in early 2007 to playing NC State’s Homecoming (Go Pack!) for 4,000 people that fall to appearing on David Letterman in September of this year. All while being on their own tiny local record label. Their music just sells its self. I and Love and You is their first album on a major label, produced by Rick Rubin on American Recordings. For a much more interesting and better written account of their awesomeness, read this.

As for the album, some purists would say that this is a big departure from their previous work, replacing some of the traditional banjo/bluegrass sound with piano. I personally think it’s just the maturing of a band that knows how to retain their soul while gracefully stepping into the big leagues. The title track "I and Love and You" is the perfect heartfelt introduction, followed by "January Wedding", which seriously makes me want to get married all over again. In January of course. "Kick Drum Heart" shows the band’s punk influence and the infectious energy of their live shows.

Don’t write them off as a bluegrass band … they are so much more than that. Maybe I love them because they are from NC (and if you know me, you know I love everything about North Carolina). Or maybe it’s because the banjo plucks at the heartstrings of my childhood (my father is an incredibly talented banjo player). Or maybe it’s just because their songs speak directly to the heart and they are just plain good. If you want more, you can stream the entire album from their website.

Julie Gentry DeVoe, Guest Columnist