Alt-country underground darlings the Avett Brothers take the major label leap with I and Love and You and deliver something both unexpected and impressive. The most noticeable change is that most of the songs are ballads and the piano is the prominent instrument here while the banjo, up to now such an integral part of their sound, only appears sporadically. In fact, the only time banjo is front and center is on the bluegrass January Wedding and the hootenanny flourish at the end of Laundry Room. Though tempos pick up on Kick Drum Heart, Tin Man, and Slight Figure of Speech they are the exceptions. The overall effect is less visceral and direct in some ways than their previous material yet the sophisticated arrangements carry an emotional weight and sonic richness of their own. The Avett Brother's love of Appalachian mountain music is still evident, especially in the beautiful harmony singing by brothers Seth and Scott; they just convey it in a different and less predictable way. This shift may not please all of their fans but it's hard to argue when the results are this gorgeous. - iTunes
