Avetts slowing down?
ok, I'm editing this review because I feel bad giving them such a hard time. About five songs are really good. The rest was just weepy without being very interesting.

Compared to other bands it's an ok album, just not nearly as good as "Four Thieves Gone" and "Mignonette". They loose a lot of their raw edge and punk-y-ness. Sentimental gives way to sappy here. There is nothing gripping in the sound here either.

What happened to those bluegrass-y punks that screamed and yelled through their songs and made me feel like I was drinkin' in the back of a truck, driving in the country while my friends (and I) rock on guitars and banjos?

I don't even want to play this one for friends - I used to show off the Avett Bros. coolness before.

Yep
Great CD!! I saw these guys live and it just might have been one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Fantastic Album - Excellent Writers - Tremendous Live
The Avett Brothers are some of the best songwriters out there today. They have a way of cutting topics down to the simple heart of them and revealing something very true. Their CD Emotionalism is one of my favorite CDs I have in my collection, up there with U2/the Joshua Tree and Bob Marley/Legend (I have many more interesting selections but that's for another post). I simply cannot play the album enough times. The album is somewhat mellow, and you should know that they take on a completely different persona live and play with tremendous energy live. They scream a good bit too, giving it something like a punk-bluegrass feel to it (One of the brothers Scott moonlights in a heavy metal band called "Oh what a nightmare"). In short, the concerts are FUN and they are building a very loyal following, myself included.

Grand Ole Opry Debut Was Great!
My wife and I saw these guys in Nashville this past Friday night at their Grand Ole Opry debut and they are definitely on to something new! They are cutting edge, not really country and not really alternative but somewhere in-between. Whatever category you put them in, they are great! Once I heard them, I bought their album the next day. Listen with an open mind and they will grow on you quickly.

Don't miss out
I'm not sure how I missed this last year, but this is The Avett Brothers best yet musically and lyrically. The lyrics are earnest and funny, poignant and clever. As always the music is inventive and the harmonies better than ever. Another fantastic work from a fantastic band.