Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
They Are The Real Thing, March 17, 2006
Every music lover has those moments of transcendance when the song or album that they are listening to just jumps out and strikes them like a bolt of lightening. Some of mine include hearing the Kinks YOU REALLY GOT ME for the first time, watching Rick Danko sing IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE in THE LAST WALTZ, Elvis Costello's MY AIM IS TRUE, the first VIOLENT FEMMES album and a handfull of other moments as well. I can now add listening to this album for the first time to the list.
This is real music made by people interested in expressing themselves rather than trying to get fame and fortune. It's honest and timeless. These songs could just have easily been written in 1906 as 2006. What makes it special is the passion, sweat and humor that these guys pour into their performances. I may hear a better album this year, but I doubt it.
The music of the Avett Brothers takes old time influences like blugrass, gospel and folk, then injects it with an energy derived from punk rock or AC/DC. They may upset purists by playing this music without finesse and respect that purists always seem to expect, but so be it. All the more fun for the rest of us.
From the manic opener TALK OF INDOLENCE through the closing lullabye of FOUR THEIVES GONE, the band display a great lyrical touch on ballads like THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF MANHATTAN and THE LOWERING, as well as creating a fun head of steam on upbeat tunes like THE FALL and COLORSHOW. The lyrics are great, the vocals raw, rough and beautiful, and the playing full of spirit and feeling. There is not a misstep on the whole record.
If you are a music lover who's tastes lie outside the boundries of popular music (c. 2006), don't hesitate to investigate FOUR THEIVES GONE at once. This is the real deal.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If Only I Could Give it 6 Stars!, February 8, 2006
Close your eyes and try to imagine the musical dynamics of the Beatles "White Album" but played by a trio using bluegrass instruments. Try to imagine the Clash's distant cousin from North Carolina stomping away on the porch of a mountain cottage. Think of the most heart-wrenching Hank Williams song and place it in present day Manhattan. The truth is, you can't really imagine how any of these odd combinations might sound, but wouldn't it be neat if you could? Well, there's no need to imagine. All you have to do is buy "Four Thieves Gone" and strap yourself in for a musical ride that is sure to enrich even the richest of cd collections. Each song is its own unique experience, from the frantic screaming and instrument-banging in the opening song "Talk on Idolence" to the haunting and stratospheric harmonies of the second track "Pretty Girl from Feltre" the Avetts show their mastery of songwriting and proficiency of capturing live energy in a recording. "Colorshow" is a hard hitting, piano driven, fist pumping anthem; "Pretend Love" is a biting tongue-in-cheek 1950s throwback; "Four Thieves Gone" a lullaby. Every other song in between has its own story to tell, its own vocabulary, its own point of view. What holds the myriad stories together is the committed instrumentation of acoustic guitar, banjo, upright bass and a spattering of drums; vocal capabilities that can both caress a lover and rip through a brick wall; and an intense, honest energy that brings to mind everything great about life (even the pain of death).
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Instant Classic, June 10, 2007
Yes, no recording can capture the feel of their live performances (especially outdoor performances) but this CD is nothing less than classic. Almost every song is memorable as the more you listen to it, the more and more you come to appreciate just what this CD accomplishes. It is very difficult to pin down their sound (they won't do it), but I would describe it as a mix of punk rock and folk. They are now officially my favorite group and this is my favorite CD of theirs.
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