I And Love And You

So this is the one where Rick Rubin got hold of them. Coming off Emotionalism, the Avetts signed to a major, added a piano and some room to breathe, and cleaned up the homemade edges that made the last record sound like it was cut in somebody’s kitchen. Purists grumbled. They also wrote some of their best songs here, so.

I And Love And You opens it soft and sad and sets the tone. Head Full Of Doubt slash Road Full Of Promise is the one people quote, the line about deciding what to be and going and being it. Laundry Room starts quiet and comes apart at the end in the best way, the whole band running downhill together.

Another double, another Side D that could go. But the highs are higher than Emotionalism even if the edges are softer, and the title track alone earns its keep. This is the record that took them national, and you can hear why.