Altsounds - The Avett Brothers - Introducing... [Sampler]

It is a well-worn aphorism that folk music is simply not Friday night music. Very rarely would a young hipster blast out a Dylan or Damian Rice track before swaggering out for a night of dubstep. That said, there is room for this three-piece from North Carolina's simple melodies in today’s American music scene. Just not on a Friday.

In this taster collection of songs, The Avett Brothers entice their listeners with a melancholic blend of folk, bluegrass and country sounds. Brother Scott Avett’s non-ironic banjo strums well alongside soothing harmonies. And it really is the harmonies that are the star of the show here, as evidenced by their role in the stirring chorus of ‘Shame’.

A focus on platonic and romantic relationships means that lyrically, the songs pioneer little new ground. However, the deeply poignant and honest way in which they are sung (as well as the populist themes of love and kinship) mean that they don’t fail to stir the soul of even this hardened, cynical Altsounds reviewer.

This nevertheless inevitably downgrades The Avett Brothers to that of easy listening on a certain weekend morning. A Sunday slice of Americana. It is hard to think of another band that is more… nice. This isn’t meant in a pejorative way, but like the girl who lusts after a rebellious boy, it is difficult for this reviewer to get excited over these southern-fried ditties, however sensitive and caring they may appear to be.

The Avett Brothers are currently on a tour of the U.S.
http://www.myspace.com/theavettbrothers