The Avett Brothers

The Gleam
by Tim Den

Supposedly a high energy, ruckus rock combo by trade, The Avett Brothers take time out from sonic intensity on The Gleam by picking at their acoustics, banjos, and slow-burning tales of Southern life (drinking, loving, killing, etc.). The earthy tones and farmboy drawls transplant a Civil War kind of frontier ruralness upon the boys’ Richard Thompson-meets-Richard Buckner prairie songs, painting pictures of auburn sunsets and wheat fields with delicate melodies and fantastic harmonies. While it would be easy to simply call The Gleam another folkish, country-ish endeavor from guitar-slingin’ young men, something about it speaks more than just “everyday life”: There’s an aged wisdom in the compositions and a true power to connect with the listener, folk/country or not. These songs are more than what its defined borders would have you believe. Take a listen, and you too will think of it as more than another batch from the Dixie.
(www.theavettbrothers.com)