The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You LP

There is no harmony like brotherly harmony. Something indelible in the weave of voices and play of sensibilities is stamped into the fraternal DNA and also stems from a lifetime of shared experiences. You can hear it in classic brother acts across the spectrum, from the Louvin Brothers to the Everly Brothers and on down the decades through the Wilson Brothers (Beach Boys), the Davies brothers (Kinks), the Allman Brothers and even brothers Gibb (Bee Gees). You can clearly hear fraternal magic at work in the songs of Scott and Seth Avett, better known as the Avett Brothers.

The Concord, North Carolina-based indie folk-pop darlings received rave reviews for their 2009 breakthrough major-label debut, I and Love and You, which peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 album chart and resulted in an invitation to perform alongside Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons at the 2011 Grammy Awards. While much of that record's success stemmed from brothers Scott and Seth Avett's poignant songwriting, producer Rick Rubin played a large part in letting those tracks shine. I And Love And You's 13 songs are delivered in a style that defies pigeonholing but might be described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, bluegrass, rock and pop - even a jab of punk-style here and there for good measure. 

"North Carolina trio Avett Brothers once sounded like Appalachian Beatles: chirpy harmonies over effervescent acoustic guitar, banjo and upright bass. They've gotten moodier in recent years, and for their major-label debut, producer Rick Rubin has turned the group into a lush chamber-folk outfit. I and Love and You is packed with complex, piano-based beauties." - Mark Kemp, Rolling Stone