36. The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love
Andy: 22 :: Dave: Unranked
The vast majority of music review is a search for appropriate adjectives. It’s a method of conveying the use of one sense by means of another. And – even worse – it’s entirely subjective. There are times when the words don’t come easily. There are times when the first time through an album doesn’t produce a discernable reaction. It’s a fickle mistress.
The Big Pink doesn’t make their music easier to explain. On their debut album, A Brief History of Love, a thick wall of noise envelops their melodic songwriting almost constantly. The feedback is churns throughout, fading briefly to allow the synthesizers to bubble up – only to quickly submerge them again. The album is swirling, unrelenting, and a completely grandiose listen.
The Big Pink – Too Young To Love (mp3) from A Brief History of Love
35. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
Andy: 21 :: Dave: Unranked
I first heard of The Avett Brothers around the time they started to gain momentum throughout the blogosphere – with their 2007 release Emotionalism. This year’s follow-up was much more polished – which could be construed by some as a drawback, but here it works. Their Piedmont take on rock and bluegrass is cleaned up considerably, and in the right hands here (Rick Rubin) it soars.
Despite their oft-heavy subject matter, The Avett Brothers have an uncanny ability to sound far more upbeat than would seem natural. It’s part of the allure of the band, and on I and Love and You, it’s as fantastic as ever. I had real trouble choosing a track to share here. This is an album that gets better with each subsequent listen.
The Avett Brothers – Laundry Room (mp3) from I and Love and You
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