ACL Music Fest Sunday Reviews

the Avett Brothers

The maturation of North Carolina's the Avett Brothers that began on their last disc I and Love and You continues to flower with The Carpenter. In fact, the duo's punkish roots are left behind to such an extent that latecomers to the band might not even be aware of the band's original attraction. Taking The Carpenter at face value, the Avett's have unexpectedly developed into skilled tunesmiths. The bright bounciness of "Live and Die" brings to mind the Jayhawks, while the orchestration and big guitars of "Pretty Girl From Michigan" are positively Beatlesque. It's not all sugar and light, however, as the feedback and underwater harmonies of "Paul Newman vs. the Demons" attest. Although the Avett Brothers can't seem to decide whether they're introspective folkies or a big rock act, The Carpenter hits the right chords in such a manner that no one will likely care. (6:15pm, AMD stage)