The Avett Brothers Preview

The Avett Brothers
House Of Blues: Back Porch Stage, Chicago
Friday, November 3, 2006

Singer-songwriter brothers from North Carolina decide to quiet down a little.

Not that Scott and Seth Avett were ever really that loud. Louder this time, though, for sure. Past Avett efforts (the brothers debuted in 2002 with Country Was) truly took the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach with arrangements, meaning the Avetts folky country would be backed by all kinds of instrumentation, not to mention hoots, hollers, and stomps. They decided to cut the fat (we aren’t calling him fat, but even full-time band member/upright bassist Bob Crawford doesn’t play on the record) on The Gleam (Ramseur), though, which is not only their quietest album, but their shortest at six songs/ 21 minutes. The bones haven’t been completely stripped clean here, but close. Two voices, acoustic guitar and banjo fill out most of this material, though cello, harmonica, piano also make appearances. The Avett Brothers don’t quite approach the hushed aesthetic of Iron & Wine (neither brother is as reserved vocally as Sam Beam) but the same cold-winter-day, creaky-wooden-floor vibe of that group definitely haunts The Gleam.

Note: The Avett Brothers will perform at the Back Porch Stage of the House Of Blues, not in the main music hall.

— Trevor Fisher

Click here to download The Avett Brothers’ “If It’s The Beaches.”

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly