Somewhere between the deep-fried, banjo-laced bluegrass of Old Crow Medicine Show and the folksy emotional accessibility of Mumford & Sons lie The Avett Brothers, modern music’s finest Americana act. Their Rick Rubin-helmed 2009 record I & Love & You found the Avetts sanding down their more raucous edges with fine-toothed production and a burlap sackful of pop choruses, and the forthcoming The Carpenter, due September 11th, seems poised to deliver more of the same; good news for anyone who thought I & Love & You was terrific, bad news for those who didn’t (you folks shall heretofore be referred to as “incorrect”).
In any event, the Avetts have debuted the first single from The Carpenter, and it all sounds comfortably familiar, a summery shuffle stuffed with throaty harmonies, underscored with upright bass and banjo, prepared with love. Until the album drops, catch the Brothers on tour, or just listen to “Live and Die” a whole bunch – by the time it gets old, you’ll have a whole new record to listen to anyway. Enjoy!