New Music Review

The Avett Brothers
"Slight Figure of Speech" b/w "More of You
7" Single
American Recordings









This has been a huge week for music releases, and it's going to take me a few days to really absorb everything. I've been on the go quite a bit lately, so I'm fortunate that this week's stuff isn't all vinyl, or it would take me forever to get caught up. We've already covered the new Kris Kristofferson release, and the reason why I was able to get to that one first was because it's on CD, and I can listen to it at work or in the car. If Criminal had stocked the vinyl, there's no way I would have it finished. I downloaded the new download-only Paul Westerberg EP from Amazon, but I haven't fully absorbed it yet (I definitely love it, though). Hopefully I can have that sorted out by tomorrow.

The thing I really can't wait to do this week, however, is to put the new Avett Brothers 2-disc, 180 gram vinyl album I and Love and You on my turntable and give it a spin. I'm hell bent on doing this all in one sitting, and not one side at a time. Unfortunately for me, I haven't had that kind of time this week. Fortunately for me, when I purchased this double long player at Criminal on Tuesday, they also had a limited edition 7" for sale featuring "Slight Figure of Speech" from the record, and a non-album b-side called "More of You". I have been able to listen to this, and all it's doing is making me even antsier to listen to the LP.

I've heard two cuts from the LP on the radio over the last six weeks or so. One of them is the title track, and I can't recall the name of the other off the top of my head. They were both very nice, melodic tunes immaculately produced by Rick Rubin that prominently displayed their folksy musical heritage. That's all well and good, but I was terribly of afraid that the new release would perhaps turn its back on the other half of the Avetts roots, which is knee deep in punk rock. After listening to this 7", I fear this no more.

When they're at their best, the Avetts will make anyone turn his/her head. Their slower and softer numbers are filled with tight musicianship, extraordinarily catchy pop hooks, and structure that requires an impressive degree of musical literacy to compose. Their harder edged songs combine the best elements of No Depression-era Uncle Tupelo, and the first Violent Femmes album. These are all things that separate the Avetts from the AMERICAN'TA acts polluting the airwaves today (read: just about all of the limp-dick folk acts on Sub Pop).

"Slight Figure of Speech" sounds very much like the first songs I ever heard from this band that got my attention. It's upbeat, it's catchy and pleasing to the senses. At the same time, it's played hard and fast and aggressive, albeit in an acoustic guitar/upright bass kind of way. "More of You" is a slower number, and I defy you to listen to it three or four times and not have it stuck in your head for the rest of the day. If the reason why this song didn't make the final cut for I and Love and You is because it wasn't good enough, then let's just say I can't wait to hear the rest of it.

I'm at the point where I just cannot wait to hear this LP. The Avett Brothers seem to be a band on the verge of a major breakthrough, and Rick Rubin was undoubtedly the right producer to put them in such a position. I'd be failing if I didn't mention that we're at a point where we desperately need it. With stale folk-influenced bands from the Pacific Northwest like Fruit Bats, Blitzen Trapper, and especially Band of Horses increasing in popularity, the average consumers of American indie-rock have turned into mindless sheep. Sheep that apparently favor music that has no heart, no soul, no brains, and sure as shit doesn't have any balls.

If this single is any indicator, the Avett Brothers are still making music with balls. And not a moment too soon. This may be a sorely needed heart transplant for the dying musical genre that is Americana. If nothing else, it'll at least increase the amount of testosterone in the room and prove that you don't have to be a flailing little pussy to play folk music.