Produced by the legend that is Rick Rubin, 'I And Love And You' is the follow up to The Avett Brothers acclaimed 2007 album 'Emotionalism'. Many fans were worried by the bands move to major label Sony and the choice of Rubin; they felt any rough edges would be smoothed out and the band would be forced to play the 'pop game'. And in a way they have (Britain had never heard of the band until this album, and they been dubbed as, wait for it, the 'folk Kings of Leon').
Revisiting 'Emotionalism' and reading that live experiences are often, crazy, rawkus affairs, 'I And Love And You' does seem to dampen spirits somewhat. There are still some good moments of folk and bluegrass rock 'n' roll, but it is kept to a minimum which leaves the album feeling a little flat and less special than it could have been. Still, expect to hear about this band thanks to major label marketing.
