ALWAYSBACK

6067 - THE AVETT BROTHERS - Magpie And The Dandelion (2013)

THE AVETT BROTHERS
''MAGPIE AND THE DANDELION (BONUS TRACKS)''
OCTOBER 15 2013
56:49

1 - Open Ended Life/4:50
2 - Morning Song/3:54
3 - Never Been Alive/3:10
4 - Another Is Waiting/2:07
5 - Bring Your Love To Me/3:42
6 - Good To You/4:23
7 - Apart From Me/5:06
8 - Skin And Bones/3:57
9 - Souls Like The Wheels/4:09
10 - Vanity/2:47
11 - The Clearness Is Gone/4:52
12 - Vanity (Demo)/2:57
13 - Every Morning Song (Demo)/3:56
14 - Another Is Waiting (Demo)/2:17
15 - Bring Your Love (Demo)/4:05
All Tracks By Scott Yancey Avett / Timothy Seth Avett / Robert William Crawford Jr.

Seth Avett/Lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, organ
Scott Avett/Lead and backing vocals, banjo, acoustic guitar, piano
Bob Crawford/Upright and electric bass, backing vocals
Joe Kwon/Cello
Jacob Edwards/Drums, percussion
Paul DeFiglia/Piano, upright bass

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Recorded at the same sessions that produced 2012's The Carpenter, 2013's Magpie And The Dandelion doesn't play like leftovers, which is to the credit of both the Avett Brothers and their producer Rick Rubin. Magpie And The Dandelion consciously evokes past Americana, stretching back beyond the Band but anchored there, often incorporating a harder-rocking edge reminiscent of former Rubin patrons Black Crowes. The key to appreciating the Avett Brothers is to realize they see themselves as heirs to this tradition, happy to accentuate their rustic roots with banjos and weary harmonies because they suggest authenticity. Where their real strength lies is not instrumental virtuosity or song (although many of the tunes here are sturdy enough) but rather feel: they capture an indistinct past where guitars are an enduring virtue. Perhaps the Avetts are best when they run a little bit loose and ragged, letting the tempos push a little bit hard, allowing their harmonies to clash and happy to have their loose ends remain untied. Often, this means that the ballads are just a shade too tidy—they're mannered in a way almost none of the rest of the record is—but still Magpie And The Dandelion underscores how the appeal of the Avett Brothers remains how they remain indebted to the past without being bogged down by its legacy.

BIOGRAPHY
by Mark Deming
The Avett Brothers' music has roots in traditional folk and bluegrass, but also captures the high spirits and no-boundaries attitude of rock & roll -- which is appropriate, since rock is where Scott Avett and Seth Avett first cut their teeth as musicians. Although siblings Scott (vocals, banjo) and Seth (vocals, guitar) began making music together as children, their group's genesis began when they were members of Nemo, a rock band that gigged regularly in Greenville, North Carolina. Looking for another outlet for their musical ideas, the Avetts began getting together with like-minded friends (most notably Nemo guitarist John Twomey) on Tuesdays for acoustic guitar pulls, where they'd share a few drinks and swap songs. As time passed, the weekly get-together (which was called "the Back Door Project" or "Nemo Downstairs") became a semi-public event, with the pickers busking for the enjoyment of passers-by, and Seth and Scott decided the new acoustic music they were making was as fun and satisfying as their rock band.

Twomey and the Avetts decided to document their side project in 2000, and "the Back Door Project" was renamed The Avett Brothers with the release of a self-titled album that same year. Nemo broke up before 2000 came to a close, and Seth and Scott decided to make The Avett Brothers their new priority. They amicably parted ways with Twomey and added upright bassist and vocalist Bob Crawford to the combo. After a few months of playing live shows, the new trio recorded its second album, 2002's Country Was. The Avett Brothers hit the road upon the album's release that summer, and used the opportunity to break in material for their next studio project, A Carolina Jubilee, which was released in 2003. (A live disc, Live at the Double Door Inn, was sandwiched between the two studio sets.)

Over the next several years, The Avett Brothers maintained a busy and prolific schedule. They released a lengthy and ambitious studio album, Mignonette, in 2004, another live disc in 2005, and both a full-length album (Four Thieves Gone: The Robinsville Sessions) and an EP (The Gleam) in 2006, all recorded during breaks in the group's heavy touring calendar. As if this weren't enough to keep the three men occupied, Crawford also recorded and performed with his side project New Jersey Transient, Seth Avett released albums under the moniker Darling, and Seth and Scott occasionally played shows with their electric band Oh What a Nightmare. In 2007, The Avett Brothers reached a new level of popularity with Emotionalism, their first album to make a dent on the Billboard charts. Rick Rubin took notice and signed the band to American Recordings, his own division of Sony BMG/Columbia, during the following summer.

The Gleam II, issued just several months later, was The Avett Brothers' last release on the Ramseur label, while 2009's I and Love and You served as their major-label debut. The album peaked at number 16, by far the band's highest chart placement to date, and the international tour that followed was partially documented on the 2010 concert album Live, Vol. 3. In 2011 The Avett Brothers received an invitation to perform alongside Bob Dylan and Mumford & Sons at the Grammy Awards, and in 2012 they released The Carpenter, their second studio album under the tutelage of Rubin. The Carpenter was greeted with good reviews and debuted at number four on the Billboard Top 200 on its way to a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. In 2013, The Avett Brothers released Magpie and the Dandelion, which consisted of material recorded with Rubin during the sessions for The Carpenter.