event The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers' excellent 2007 album Emotionalism stripped away the frantic punk energy of their older material in favor of introspective lyrics and detailed pop songwriting. So it’s no surprise that the new, Rick Rubin-produced I And Love And You finds the North Carolina boys continuing to smother their howlin’ rock-roots with even more polished, heart-on-sleeve folk-pop. “January Wedding” maintains a bit of the band’s bluegrass influence, while “Heart Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise” (arguably the album’s best cut) and several other tunes swap out the band’s signature banjo-driven rawness for piano-based ballads. Though it's more layered than anything the Avetts have done before, it's not likely to weigh down the raw urgency of their live sets.

The Avett Brothers' excellent 2007 album Emotionalism stripped away the frantic punk energy of their older material in favor of introspective lyrics and detailed pop songwriting. So it’s no surprise that the new, Rick Rubin-produced I And Love And You finds the North Carolina boys continuing to smother their howlin’ rock-roots with even more polished, heart-on-sleeve folk-pop. “January Wedding” maintains a bit of the band’s bluegrass influence, while “Heart Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise” (arguably the album’s best cut) and several other tunes swap out the band’s signature banjo-driven rawness for piano-based ballads. Though it's more layered than anything the Avetts have done before, it's not likely to weigh down the raw urgency of their live sets.