The Avett Brothers I and Love and You (2 Lp's)

The Avett Brothers continue charting the same musical course as EMOTIONALISM and MIGNONETTE on major-label debut I AND LOVE AND YOU, despite the presence of hands-on producer Rick Ruben. The country-folk duo continue to add elements of pop and hillbilly rock to a country/bluegrass foundation on the 2009 LP, a record with a newfound emphasis on piano and nuanced arrangements. Working with a larger budget allows the group to add small flourishes -- a cello line here, a keyboard crescendo there -- but the resulting music is rarely grand, focusing on textures rather than sheer volume. Scott and Seth Avett share vocals throughout the album, delivering their lyrics in a speak-sing cadence that sounds both tuneful and conversational. Given the opportunities presented here -- the ability to flank their melodies with string sections, organ swells, and Harmonium -- the two devote more focus to slower songs, eschewing the barn-burning bouncefests of their previous albums for material that better