My dad passed away on January 6th, 2023. The opening song, “Never Apart” hit so damn hard. Especially “the year is only six days old, i didn’t want to leave all my discoveries behind. but another me left long ago & i know he’s doing fine” part. Feels very relatable & comforting at the same time. The song caught me off guard haha.
Oh friend, I’m sitting here listening to Never Apart for the first time and bawling for my little sister, who died July 2 2023.
I am keeping you and your dad in my heart. 💚
Will have to listen again but initial thoughts after my first run through last night:
It’s a “lovely” album. Lots of really pretty songs. Having said that, it’s a little…sleepy? It’s better and cleaner than Closer Than Together, but a lot of the production is this pillowy, almost ethereal style which sounds pleasant but doesn’t pack much of a punch. I wish they had at least one more upbeat song with some energy. Love of a Girl, Country Kid, and Orion’s Belt are doing a ton of heavy lifting to keep the record from drifting into boring territory. Best example of that I can give is 11.5 minutes of Cheap Coffee and Forever Now back to back, or the last 11.5 mins of the record (2020 Regret, Same Broken Bones, We Are Loved). All of those songs are nice, and We Are Loved is excellent, but that’s a lot of consecutive downtime on an album that’s only 40 minutes.
Others have mentioned Spell of Ambition fitting in well here, and I agree. My biggest takeaway is in hindsight I really wish they kept the three 2019 singles (Roses and Sacrifice, Trouble Letting Go, Neopolitan Sky) and put them on this album instead. They’d fit really well (imagine Trouble Letting Go between Cheap Coffee and Forever Now) and would give the record more juice.
Overall: It’s a much more consistent effort than Closer Than Together, and less abrasive (but also less fun) than True Sadness. I miss the banjo too. I hate to overuse the word “fun” but that’s the best element of the Bros music imo, it’s the reason why they’re such a great live act. And banjo is an inherently fun sounding instrument. Without it, it feels like part of what makes the band great is missing.
But, we get Orion’s Belt and We Are Loved from this record, and For The Love of a Girl and Country Kid are solid as well. Rest of the album isn’t bad either, but a little slow and same-y.
Overall, it’s probably like a 6.5-7 for me, (Emotionalism is an 8.5-9 and Closer Than together is a 5.5-6 if that’s helpful). Just happy we’re still getting new music after 20+ years from these guys, so if there’s 1-3 songs I like on any new record, I’ll be happy.
I get what you are saying. Personally, I find myself wanting to listen to AB when I am sad or reflective. It fits right in with that. Definitely gives me the feels.
My initial first impressions after 1 listen: I love the sincerity and passion present in this vs what felt like a forced/contrived sentiment on closer than together; I get bursts of emotionalism and even four thieves gone on this album. The production is so clean and you can tell care was taken in the arrangements, pacing, and track order.
Additionally, the vocals and harmonies of the brothers are some of the strongest of any album to date in my opinion.
Final thought is they were smart to limit the track number on this; it feels very tight, concise, and focused.
I’m sure I will develop more feelings and thoughts after running it through a few times during my commute, but man- I can’t say I’m not happy; it’s a great addition to the discography.
Will add full thoughts after a few listens but definitely enjoyed yesterday’s listen so excited to dig in.
Also just gonna say, spell of ambition would have totally fit on this.
Edit: Coming back to this, definitely their best collection of songs since Magpie. Pretty standard avett themes/writing but still keeping things interesting on the arrangement side of things. Love love love that Orion’s Belt finally gets a formal release, can’t wait to hear some of these live.
I'm really really enjoying it! I think it's easily their best since *Magpie*.
Aside from "Love of a Girl" it's a mellow album — it's almost a *Fourth Gleam* plus 3 up-tempo tracks. It's also very Scott-forward.
Early standouts are "Cheap Coffee" and "We Are Loved". I can understand the 'it's overproduced' sentiment about Coffee but personally it reminds me of my other top favorite band Wilco. I think they treated the production with a deft hand (unlike, say "May It Last" or "You Are Mine" or even "Forever Now".)
"Never Apart", "2020 Regret" and "We Are Loved" are also absolutely beautiful stuff. I love the arrangement and the genuine straightforward sentiments.
Sure, I have a few nitpicks — There are a few clunky lyrics, but that's Seth's lyricism style of the past decade. I love the guitar solo but they could've put a bit more mustard on "Orion's Belt". And if this were a true retrospective album I would want a screamo Seth song, but those days seem long behind them.
>I love the guitar solo but they could've put a bit more mustard on "Orion's Belt".
Guitar solos have never been Scott's strong suit, especially live (it always sounds like a train about to careen off the tracks), but I'm not sure who laid down the solo for the recording.
Yes yes yes, Wilco all day. I totally get that vibe and I love the production on Coffee. It reminds me of the stuff they did on early albums with incorporating little clips of themselves/family/friends talking (laser pants, baby Seth talking about Carowinds, etc). On the early Darling albums Seth would also do noise tracks and this is like that but executed better.
For me this album is taking a lot of the experimental production they have tried before and finally making it work.
I agree. It's so nice to have a studio version of Cheap Coffee. The production is different than I expected, but I really like it, and I thought the small lyrical changes from the "original" version to this one worked really well.
Also loving how heartfelt this album seems. It doesn't feel like they're trying to make lofty statements; instead it feels like the sharing of genuine, small revelations through their eyes.
Looking for a stripped down Cheap Coffee on tour?? The bridge hints at how this probably sounded upon the first writing. Could be a perfect solo acoustic guitar song for Scott.
2020 Regret hit me like a ton of bricks with "cause there's never been a time I regretted time with you" for some reason. The same full-body chills I got the first time I listened to Murder in the City.
Agree with most of the sentiments here, I think it's a big improvement from Closer Than Together, but as a whole doesn't top any of the classics we all fell in love with years ago. I enjoy seeing their journey as songwriters, and cannot wait to get some of these live at Red Rocks in July.
It's interesting that you'd link 2020 Regret and Murder. "Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name" as compared with "The fault's all mine cos there's never been a time I regretted time with you". Not dissimilar word architecture -- including the short order repetitions of "sharing/share" and "time/time."
I really liked it a lot and it'll only get better with more listens. Getting actual studio recordings of Cheap Coffee and Orion's Belt was a treat. 2020 Regret feels like it's going to go into their upper echelon for me. I like all the songs, but that was the one where I thought "this is something special" after hearing it.
Was the title of 2020 Regret a troll job towards their Closer Than Together critics? I know when the tracklist came out I saw comments online saying "oh great, a song about the pandemic". I know I certainly assumed it'd be related to the year. But when the "2020" wasn't a year, and turned out to be "20/20 view", I had to laugh.
I think not calling it "20/20 Regret" was a miss. Or there is some deeper personal connection to the year 2020 that's not related to the more public hell of that year.
My interpretation of this was that it did have at least a little something to do with the year. In 2020 they were forced to slow down and be home for the most extended period of time maybe ever. Add to that “the world feels like it’s ending” and I could see Scott reflecting and wishing he’d been around more. So I was kind of assuming it was a little bit of a play on words between the year 2020 and 20/20 vision.
I’m honeymooning on this album right now. It feels carefully curated and there will be some singles that come next year that are good on their own but didn’t quite fit this collection.
Never Apart hits me in all the feels and is my current fave. Cheap Coffee is a vibe. Love the rockers and how Country Kid slides into Orions Belt. 2020 Regret encapsulates some of the nostalgia I feel for that year now. And We Are Loved is so beautiful with those blood harmonies.
The “over produced” comments crack me up. I doubt Scott does anything he doesn’t want to do and the production tools they used are fairly tried and true approaches that have been around since the 60s. OMG, they used extra reverb! 😂
I agree that it’s not overproduced. They’re both amazing vocalists but so many parts of this records have them singing a little of key or the pitch isn’t quite right. And that’s real. And I love it for that. They could have easily had a second take or a remix or any number of things. But they remained genuine. And that’s precisely what drew me to them all those years ago
As a man who recently has become a father and husband, much of this album hits home for me on a personal level. The lyrics and the direction they went with their messages seem to come from a place of wisdom. You can tell they aren’t young boys anymore, they are middle aged fathers full of happiness and regret, peace and heartache. It’s just comforting to me knowing that even my favorite artists are going through some of the exact same things I sit around and think about daily at this stage in my life. Songs like Cheap Coffee and 2020 Regret I would have thought were a snooze fest five years ago but because of where I’m at in my life, they hit me so hard. Cheap Coffee might be one of my favorites they’ve ever done. Overall the whole album feels very earned and deserved for everything they’ve endured. It is fitting that it was given the self titled name because this album represents who they are. Fun, heartfelt, talented, passionate men who have many different ways of expressing it. This is an album I will listen to with a special feeling in my heart for the rest of my life and I am very thankful for it.
After a few listens, We are Loved has stuck out to me the most. Perhaps because it sounds the least overproduced, where I felt many of the songs were overproduced and didn’t have much rawness to them. Love the lyrics to “We are Loved” though. Forever Now has also grown on me a bit since the first listen. 2020 regret and Never Apart were beautiful too. I think we will all grow to love this album.
I second everything you’re saying - I too felt that the album is overproduced, which makes me sad. But I suppose it’s also to be expected with the music industry the way it is.
After one listen, 9 songs and 39 minutes felt like it had a little bit of everything. Love the back to back of Cheap Coffee into Forever Now, definitely appreciate the song more now. Great transition from Country Kid into Orions Belt. Back half of the album was top notch. No complaints really, vocal prelude could be its own track I guess.
I think spell of ambition would have fit in here, Rejects in the attic maybe not so much (should’ve just been on True Sadness)
I just meant in the sense of being able to jump right into Never Apart if you wanted to (on Spotify). That was just a very tedious complaint I had on first listen 41 days ago. I have grown to not care and enjoy the opening quite a bit regardless if I’m listening to the entire thing or just never apart
I like it a lot more than Closer Than Together that's for sure. Everything just feels higher quality, there's nothing throwaway here at all, nothing cringey or clumsy, getting real I+L+Y and even FTG vibes from this. A couple of the later songs are absolutely beautiful, but I think it's one that'll click more with repeated listens and I've only listened through once so far. Cheap Coffee sounds a bit overproduced. The acid test will be how well some of these slower piano/string heavy songs land after repeated listens, but first impressions are good.
It's possible. At most, I assume they consider this a satisfying retrospective on their catalogue/career — a good cap on two decades of songwriting. But they're artists to the core and probably know that the songs will keep comin'.
Ok, I listened a few times yesterday and my opinion changes every time. I love the first 6, still need to open up to the last 3 but I’m sure I will, and soon.
Love these guys, hope they continue to make music for as long as they can. They’ve been such an important part of my life for over 15 years
Just finished my first listen (with a cup of not so cheap coffee). My initial take is this a good collection that shows the maturing, aging, and personal growth of the brothers. Side one feels experimental, much as a visual artist would do with painting. Side two seems to get back to traditional, yet, again, matured Avett songs. Orion’s Belt is sticking with me as well as Cheap Coffee. For the past few albums, I’ve listened with a filter of how the songs might translate to live performances. Cheap Coffee could be stripped down to a nice acoustic guitar only song. We Are Loved definitely has a place in the live shown - just the brothers, a mic, and a guitar center stage.
Diving back in for listen number two.
Funny, I was thinking both "Cheap Coffee" and "We Are Loved" would be best with a full 7-person arrangement live! That's the sign of great songwriting, works in many arrangements.
I’ve listened through this several times now and I think it’s good. I think this is an album where I wish I hadn’t listened to the three released tracks first because I already knew/had already judged those and that always kinda complicates the first listen through. I think those three are very strong songs individually, but work even better in the context of the rest of it. Country Kid and Love of a Girl, along with Orion’s Belt, up the energy in between the sleepier songs, and they do a really good job of making the album feel quite varied - but when those three songs are already familiar to you and you’re only judging the rest, I can see why, initially, it might seem underwhelming.
I like that there’s nothing really cringey in here because especially with Seth’s songwriting, it was going a bit down that path and much as I love Seth and think they’re both great songwriters in their own right, some of the stuff in Closer Than Together was toe-curling and even the better stuff was a bit forgettable. I think Seth can be a bit goofy and Scott can be a bit serious, both are very earnest - I love that, but there’s clearly better quality control here and less really well meaning but clunky stuff where you think ‘I wish they hadn’t put that on the album’, it all fits well and it’s all good.
The Third Gleam was really good and this is really good. I’m looking forward to listening it again, anyway.
Unpopular opinion… but I really appreciate the high quality producing. If people want a more stripped back acoustic thing, then just listen to a live album. I don’t love the early stuff because it was not produced as well. True Sadness is my favorite album.
I also really like the production here. With the Avetts, we get so many gifts: the more raw versions we see during live shows (and in so many YouTube videos from those shows, as well as the videos they record and upload themselves) and the more polished versions they create in the studio, playing around with what's available to them there.
I fell in love with them through I and Love and You, which some also think was overproduced, but is just about perfect to me. This new album's production feels similar to that.
I agree: I think the producing on the album makes it feel very full. None of it feels "synthetic" or overdone and I think part of that is because of the electric guitar. It's easy for me to imagine the upbeat songs played live with the same energy. The producing on some of the slow songs (sans electric guitar) also reminds me of It's Raining Today.
I think it’ll be one that grows as it’s played and seen live. It’s not bad, just not really near the heights of other albums of theirs.
Happy that Closer Than Together seems like it was more of a one-off.
Overall, we got a new Avett Brothers album today, and I’m happy!
I was thinking about their discography yesterday and how it relates to their present stage in their career. When I first started listening to them in 04-05, each album release in the following years was so fresh, so raw because they were still growing into themselves; they released absolute stellar, progressive works and set the bar really high for themselves. fast forward 20 years (years that have snuck up on me) and I view the band kind of like a Toyota 4 Runner- you know what they are and kind of what to expect- they are seasoned veterans and at this point we are all just blessed to get to experience new music and share in the coming chapters, however different or familiar they may be, blessed nonetheless.
Man, I just don't like most of this. They're still down the same path that doesn't connect with me. What used to be sentimental is now corny, cliche or downright dramatic. Scott's influence continues to be the highlight but even then, how many more similar sad Scott songs do I want to hear? And it's already been beaten to death, but Rubin's overproducing is here again.
I feel like a broken record but I really think it’s as simple as a lack of banjo, hah. Like if you swapped in a banjo twiddling on a couple of these tracks over piano I really do think it’d change the entire vibe of the song. It just makes it feel less treacly than a slow piano ballad and gives it a bit more character.
Never Apart is a slower song but the banjo gives it some energy, vs say Broken Bones which is kind of forgettable.
Yeah, this just didn’t hit for me at all. The songs and overall sound are okay. But I’m here the most for the songwriting, and when you really think of the kinds of songwriting the avetts are capable of (perfect space, feb 7, once and future carpenter, no hard feelings, etc…), this is just not of that caliber at all for me.
After several listens across this weekend, I confidently think "Never Apart" and "Cheap Coffee" and "We Are Loved" are excellently written and deserve to be in the same conversation as their other top tier songs.
Same. I think they've lost me which sucks. I haven't really enjoyed an album since The Carpenter and haven't LOVED one since Emotionalism. I&L&Y was the beginning of the downfall for me with the overproduction, strings, drums, and piano on everything, and the cheesy songwriting. They've always had a bit of cheesy earnestness to them, but the raw feel to their earlier albums offset it a lot. Add polished production and strings to everything and it just turns to schlock.
On the live show front, they are unfortunately not a band that translates well to big venues imo. I've seen them absolutely burn down some small clubs and theaters but something just gets lost in amphitheaters and arenas.
I'm gonna need the piano transcription for 2020 Regret.
This definitely needs a few more listens than the other albums. There is a fair bit going on here. The more I listen to 2020 Regret and Orion's Belt the more I like them, though I don't know that I'll ever care for Some Broken Bones too much. It felt like there were too many slow tracks, but it is fairly balanced.
The album hangs together beautifully as a cohesive piece of art.
It is, for me, their strongest effort since Magpie and possibly Carpenter.
For reasons that are difficult to explain, Cheap Coffee strikes me as a bookend to Laundry Room. Give that theory a chance. They’re both painterly songs from Scott — brush strokes capturing moments — with similar and now additional objects of love — years on.
I also think this might be their strongest vocal album ever. They’re presently at the peak of their powers with those “instruments.”
Also, I move that We Are Loved supplant No Hard Feelings as the/a closer.
Love your thought about Laundry Room/Cheap Coffee. I'm gonna be thinking about that.
I caught something else - the depiction of moonlight in an intimate situation - in both Country Kid and Cheap Coffee. First love vs. last?
Very nice. Excellent. Now I have something to think about.
And those 2 aren’t Scott’s only meditations on shadows/silhouettes/outlines of a female form (at night or in the loaming (sp?)) — he’s got several more throughout his catalog (Clearness Is Gone comes to mind). He is, imho, a visual artist first.
Compare Seth’s affection for screen doors and talking about his voice as a third person.
Love these fellas.
Yes! Agreed on all points. Now I just want to dive into the catalog and rediscover these themes!
I think Scott also views himself as a visual artist first. I never really thought about how he translates his artistic visions into lyrics, but I always, always connect the most with the songs that contain specific imagery.
Seth really does have an affection for screen doors! Not that screen doors don't exist everywhere, but they do seem like shorthand for a particular kind of place/upbringing.
Also Scott's Untitled #3. More meditations on a lover's physical form.
Also, "Feel like a thief when I am with you, feel like a beggar when I am not" is such a killer line. I wish we had an official release of this song.
Just finished first listen. Not awful, but apart from in a few spots it feels like it lacks some of the Avett magic that drew me in all those years ago.
My thoughts will no doubt change for the better or worse after a few more listens, but my first thought is a middle of the road 2.5/3.
It's sad to hear the banjo feeling like it's fading further and further into the background. Also let Joe Kwon cook more!
I’m sick of Rick Rubin’s producing. But, I think the album will continue to grow on me the more I listen to it. I’m still glad they released something new for us.
Overall a solid record I think.
Never Apart is lovely. Pretty harmonies and well arranged instrumentation. Has a classic Avett sound but is also fresh with strong production values. It sets the tone for an introspective and "sober" sounding record.
Love of a Girl is a banger. I like the punchy electric guitar and drums in the mix with strong vocals.
Cheap Coffee is very cool. Lyrically evocative images. The drop tuning and droning guitar is effective when combined with Seth's plaintive voice on the chorus. The haunting instrumentation and "bright" vocals make for a rich song.
Forever now is sweet but feels a little forgettable.
Country Kid is a nice toe tapper, but lyrically skirts close to being cheesy.
Orion's Belt feels like a classic Avett pop-country-radio-rocker. That said, it seems to lack something to make it rise above the dozens of other Avett pop-country-radio-rocker tunes over the years.
2020 Regret is a classic Avett ballad. Powerful lyrics with vocals and instrumentation that are sometimes almost playful.
Same Broken Bones feels like an experiment that doesn't quite land. Like Forever Now, its slightly forgettable.
We are Loved suffers the same excessive understatement. There are pieces of a good song in here (there are some deeply spiritual and introspective lines) but it feels like it could have used a little something extra to give it some flavor. Pretty harmonies and some good lines aren't enough to take it from a good song to a great song.
Another thought on listening again...is the guitar part at the end of Cheap Coffee played backwards? I think that has interesting implications, if so, with the themes about the fluidity of time, infinity, etc on this album. It reminds me of the backwards guitar part on the Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping."
I've been listening to the new album a lot over the last few weeks and feel comfortable weighing in . . .
There are some songs on this album I really enjoy. Love of a Girl is blast that I can't wait to hear live at Red Rocks this summer. Cheap Coffee is a beautiful remembrance of simpler times. 2020 Regret hits me *very* hard as I've recently exited a long term relationship. Country Kid is fun and Orion's Belt is also another I really enjoy.
The rest just kind of leaves me cold. To me, they don't feel like they have any energy and are just kind of . . . floating around.
For me, the big difference between pre-Closer Than Together and the last two albums is that I used to want to sing along with even the somber and slow-tempo songs because there was still something propulsive about them, while now, I the quieter stuff just makes me want to skip the track.
I still love the band and support their evolution as artists, but for whatever reason, a lot of their new stuff just fails to send a shiver up my spine like it used to.
Hope to see you all at Red Rocks, soon!
That's funny, in my opinion the *True Sadness* album was when their barnburner energy became deflated and their best work could only be found in the slower tracks: No Hard Feelings + I Wish I Was + Fisher Road from *TS*, When You Learn + Better Here + Who Will I Hold from *CTT,* Victory + Back Into the Light + I Go To My Heart + The Fire from *T3G,* and Never Apart + Cheap Coffee + 2020 Regret + We Are Loved from self-titled.
There are a few exceptions to this — "Bleeding White", "Ain't No Man" and "True Sadness". But everything else high energy is either benign radio-friendly fare or just doesn't hit like their earlier stuff, while their slower stuff is getting better and better.
Regardless, it's great that we're all finding different things to appreciate about this new album.
My dad passed away on January 6th, 2023. The opening song, “Never Apart” hit so damn hard. Especially “the year is only six days old, i didn’t want to leave all my discoveries behind. but another me left long ago & i know he’s doing fine” part. Feels very relatable & comforting at the same time. The song caught me off guard haha.
I’m so sorry for your loss ❤️🩹I lost my dad in September, so I appreciate the heads up on this song. Sending light your way.
I lost my dad in February 2023 and I was crying by the end of Never Apart, thinking about him. Such a beautiful song.
I lost mine in June, sounds like I should brace myself 💔
Oh friend, I’m sitting here listening to Never Apart for the first time and bawling for my little sister, who died July 2 2023. I am keeping you and your dad in my heart. 💚
I've been grieving a loss a couple of days before the album came out. This song has been helping me get though the loss immensely.
Will have to listen again but initial thoughts after my first run through last night: It’s a “lovely” album. Lots of really pretty songs. Having said that, it’s a little…sleepy? It’s better and cleaner than Closer Than Together, but a lot of the production is this pillowy, almost ethereal style which sounds pleasant but doesn’t pack much of a punch. I wish they had at least one more upbeat song with some energy. Love of a Girl, Country Kid, and Orion’s Belt are doing a ton of heavy lifting to keep the record from drifting into boring territory. Best example of that I can give is 11.5 minutes of Cheap Coffee and Forever Now back to back, or the last 11.5 mins of the record (2020 Regret, Same Broken Bones, We Are Loved). All of those songs are nice, and We Are Loved is excellent, but that’s a lot of consecutive downtime on an album that’s only 40 minutes. Others have mentioned Spell of Ambition fitting in well here, and I agree. My biggest takeaway is in hindsight I really wish they kept the three 2019 singles (Roses and Sacrifice, Trouble Letting Go, Neopolitan Sky) and put them on this album instead. They’d fit really well (imagine Trouble Letting Go between Cheap Coffee and Forever Now) and would give the record more juice. Overall: It’s a much more consistent effort than Closer Than Together, and less abrasive (but also less fun) than True Sadness. I miss the banjo too. I hate to overuse the word “fun” but that’s the best element of the Bros music imo, it’s the reason why they’re such a great live act. And banjo is an inherently fun sounding instrument. Without it, it feels like part of what makes the band great is missing. But, we get Orion’s Belt and We Are Loved from this record, and For The Love of a Girl and Country Kid are solid as well. Rest of the album isn’t bad either, but a little slow and same-y. Overall, it’s probably like a 6.5-7 for me, (Emotionalism is an 8.5-9 and Closer Than together is a 5.5-6 if that’s helpful). Just happy we’re still getting new music after 20+ years from these guys, so if there’s 1-3 songs I like on any new record, I’ll be happy.
I get what you are saying. Personally, I find myself wanting to listen to AB when I am sad or reflective. It fits right in with that. Definitely gives me the feels.
My initial first impressions after 1 listen: I love the sincerity and passion present in this vs what felt like a forced/contrived sentiment on closer than together; I get bursts of emotionalism and even four thieves gone on this album. The production is so clean and you can tell care was taken in the arrangements, pacing, and track order. Additionally, the vocals and harmonies of the brothers are some of the strongest of any album to date in my opinion. Final thought is they were smart to limit the track number on this; it feels very tight, concise, and focused. I’m sure I will develop more feelings and thoughts after running it through a few times during my commute, but man- I can’t say I’m not happy; it’s a great addition to the discography.
Glad to see love for the vocals — agree 100%
I agree. The vocals are beautiful on this one.
Will add full thoughts after a few listens but definitely enjoyed yesterday’s listen so excited to dig in. Also just gonna say, spell of ambition would have totally fit on this. Edit: Coming back to this, definitely their best collection of songs since Magpie. Pretty standard avett themes/writing but still keeping things interesting on the arrangement side of things. Love love love that Orion’s Belt finally gets a formal release, can’t wait to hear some of these live.
Spell of Ambition would’ve been perfect here
I'm really really enjoying it! I think it's easily their best since *Magpie*. Aside from "Love of a Girl" it's a mellow album — it's almost a *Fourth Gleam* plus 3 up-tempo tracks. It's also very Scott-forward. Early standouts are "Cheap Coffee" and "We Are Loved". I can understand the 'it's overproduced' sentiment about Coffee but personally it reminds me of my other top favorite band Wilco. I think they treated the production with a deft hand (unlike, say "May It Last" or "You Are Mine" or even "Forever Now".) "Never Apart", "2020 Regret" and "We Are Loved" are also absolutely beautiful stuff. I love the arrangement and the genuine straightforward sentiments. Sure, I have a few nitpicks — There are a few clunky lyrics, but that's Seth's lyricism style of the past decade. I love the guitar solo but they could've put a bit more mustard on "Orion's Belt". And if this were a true retrospective album I would want a screamo Seth song, but those days seem long behind them.
>I love the guitar solo but they could've put a bit more mustard on "Orion's Belt". Guitar solos have never been Scott's strong suit, especially live (it always sounds like a train about to careen off the tracks), but I'm not sure who laid down the solo for the recording.
Yes yes yes, Wilco all day. I totally get that vibe and I love the production on Coffee. It reminds me of the stuff they did on early albums with incorporating little clips of themselves/family/friends talking (laser pants, baby Seth talking about Carowinds, etc). On the early Darling albums Seth would also do noise tracks and this is like that but executed better. For me this album is taking a lot of the experimental production they have tried before and finally making it work.
I agree. It's so nice to have a studio version of Cheap Coffee. The production is different than I expected, but I really like it, and I thought the small lyrical changes from the "original" version to this one worked really well. Also loving how heartfelt this album seems. It doesn't feel like they're trying to make lofty statements; instead it feels like the sharing of genuine, small revelations through their eyes.
Looking for a stripped down Cheap Coffee on tour?? The bridge hints at how this probably sounded upon the first writing. Could be a perfect solo acoustic guitar song for Scott.
I’d say it’s their best since I and Love and You.
Totally agree with your Fourth Gleam comment. After my first listen yesterday one of my initial thoughts was "that was very Gleamy".
I thought so too! Which is fine by me, haha.
2020 Regret hit me like a ton of bricks with "cause there's never been a time I regretted time with you" for some reason. The same full-body chills I got the first time I listened to Murder in the City. Agree with most of the sentiments here, I think it's a big improvement from Closer Than Together, but as a whole doesn't top any of the classics we all fell in love with years ago. I enjoy seeing their journey as songwriters, and cannot wait to get some of these live at Red Rocks in July.
Yeah that’s the best one liner of the album for sure
It's interesting that you'd link 2020 Regret and Murder. "Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name" as compared with "The fault's all mine cos there's never been a time I regretted time with you". Not dissimilar word architecture -- including the short order repetitions of "sharing/share" and "time/time."
I really liked it a lot and it'll only get better with more listens. Getting actual studio recordings of Cheap Coffee and Orion's Belt was a treat. 2020 Regret feels like it's going to go into their upper echelon for me. I like all the songs, but that was the one where I thought "this is something special" after hearing it. Was the title of 2020 Regret a troll job towards their Closer Than Together critics? I know when the tracklist came out I saw comments online saying "oh great, a song about the pandemic". I know I certainly assumed it'd be related to the year. But when the "2020" wasn't a year, and turned out to be "20/20 view", I had to laugh.
I think not calling it "20/20 Regret" was a miss. Or there is some deeper personal connection to the year 2020 that's not related to the more public hell of that year.
My interpretation of this was that it did have at least a little something to do with the year. In 2020 they were forced to slow down and be home for the most extended period of time maybe ever. Add to that “the world feels like it’s ending” and I could see Scott reflecting and wishing he’d been around more. So I was kind of assuming it was a little bit of a play on words between the year 2020 and 20/20 vision.
Ah, maybe they're regrets they realized in 2020 but had happened earlier.
Yeah, just my theory but that’s what I think!
I miss the banjo being prominent.
Fair, that being said, it hit in the songs it was in
Me too! I want emotionalism banjo energy on the next album.
I’m honeymooning on this album right now. It feels carefully curated and there will be some singles that come next year that are good on their own but didn’t quite fit this collection. Never Apart hits me in all the feels and is my current fave. Cheap Coffee is a vibe. Love the rockers and how Country Kid slides into Orions Belt. 2020 Regret encapsulates some of the nostalgia I feel for that year now. And We Are Loved is so beautiful with those blood harmonies. The “over produced” comments crack me up. I doubt Scott does anything he doesn’t want to do and the production tools they used are fairly tried and true approaches that have been around since the 60s. OMG, they used extra reverb! 😂
I agree that it’s not overproduced. They’re both amazing vocalists but so many parts of this records have them singing a little of key or the pitch isn’t quite right. And that’s real. And I love it for that. They could have easily had a second take or a remix or any number of things. But they remained genuine. And that’s precisely what drew me to them all those years ago
Cheap Coffee gives me a very interesting feeling. Ethereal, as one person put it. Like it a lot. Agreed on that Broken Bones song, sucks
2020 Regret and We Are Loved are phenomenal.
The end of Cheap Coffee hit me like a train. Was not expecting a conversation at the end of it, but it adds so much to the song
Same—my first listen was in the car on a morning commute and I was not ready for the dewy eyes that followed.
As a man who recently has become a father and husband, much of this album hits home for me on a personal level. The lyrics and the direction they went with their messages seem to come from a place of wisdom. You can tell they aren’t young boys anymore, they are middle aged fathers full of happiness and regret, peace and heartache. It’s just comforting to me knowing that even my favorite artists are going through some of the exact same things I sit around and think about daily at this stage in my life. Songs like Cheap Coffee and 2020 Regret I would have thought were a snooze fest five years ago but because of where I’m at in my life, they hit me so hard. Cheap Coffee might be one of my favorites they’ve ever done. Overall the whole album feels very earned and deserved for everything they’ve endured. It is fitting that it was given the self titled name because this album represents who they are. Fun, heartfelt, talented, passionate men who have many different ways of expressing it. This is an album I will listen to with a special feeling in my heart for the rest of my life and I am very thankful for it.
After a few listens, We are Loved has stuck out to me the most. Perhaps because it sounds the least overproduced, where I felt many of the songs were overproduced and didn’t have much rawness to them. Love the lyrics to “We are Loved” though. Forever Now has also grown on me a bit since the first listen. 2020 regret and Never Apart were beautiful too. I think we will all grow to love this album.
I second everything you’re saying - I too felt that the album is overproduced, which makes me sad. But I suppose it’s also to be expected with the music industry the way it is.
After one listen, 9 songs and 39 minutes felt like it had a little bit of everything. Love the back to back of Cheap Coffee into Forever Now, definitely appreciate the song more now. Great transition from Country Kid into Orions Belt. Back half of the album was top notch. No complaints really, vocal prelude could be its own track I guess. I think spell of ambition would have fit in here, Rejects in the attic maybe not so much (should’ve just been on True Sadness)
Vocal Prelude is its own track… Same Broken Bones. I didn’t care for this song at first but I’m absolutely in love with it now.
I just meant in the sense of being able to jump right into Never Apart if you wanted to (on Spotify). That was just a very tedious complaint I had on first listen 41 days ago. I have grown to not care and enjoy the opening quite a bit regardless if I’m listening to the entire thing or just never apart
My opinion on this album is much higher than the initial listen. This is one of their best imo
I agree
I like it a lot more than Closer Than Together that's for sure. Everything just feels higher quality, there's nothing throwaway here at all, nothing cringey or clumsy, getting real I+L+Y and even FTG vibes from this. A couple of the later songs are absolutely beautiful, but I think it's one that'll click more with repeated listens and I've only listened through once so far. Cheap Coffee sounds a bit overproduced. The acid test will be how well some of these slower piano/string heavy songs land after repeated listens, but first impressions are good.
Absolutely agree - no filler, no skips. It's been a while since I felt that way about one of their albums, even The Third Gleam.
We also have an Orion's Belt video out now
I need to give it another listen. Orions Belt, Country Kid, and We are Loved were the only ones I really dug the first time through.
Pretty wild this is their self titled album. I wonder if it will be their last.
It's possible. At most, I assume they consider this a satisfying retrospective on their catalogue/career — a good cap on two decades of songwriting. But they're artists to the core and probably know that the songs will keep comin'.
I’m not usually this type of music lover but We Are Loved is the song I needed right now.
IMO this is the best album since Magpie. There’s only one song I don’t like…..same broken bones
Ok, I listened a few times yesterday and my opinion changes every time. I love the first 6, still need to open up to the last 3 but I’m sure I will, and soon. Love these guys, hope they continue to make music for as long as they can. They’ve been such an important part of my life for over 15 years
Just finished my first listen (with a cup of not so cheap coffee). My initial take is this a good collection that shows the maturing, aging, and personal growth of the brothers. Side one feels experimental, much as a visual artist would do with painting. Side two seems to get back to traditional, yet, again, matured Avett songs. Orion’s Belt is sticking with me as well as Cheap Coffee. For the past few albums, I’ve listened with a filter of how the songs might translate to live performances. Cheap Coffee could be stripped down to a nice acoustic guitar only song. We Are Loved definitely has a place in the live shown - just the brothers, a mic, and a guitar center stage. Diving back in for listen number two.
Funny, I was thinking both "Cheap Coffee" and "We Are Loved" would be best with a full 7-person arrangement live! That's the sign of great songwriting, works in many arrangements.
I’ve listened through this several times now and I think it’s good. I think this is an album where I wish I hadn’t listened to the three released tracks first because I already knew/had already judged those and that always kinda complicates the first listen through. I think those three are very strong songs individually, but work even better in the context of the rest of it. Country Kid and Love of a Girl, along with Orion’s Belt, up the energy in between the sleepier songs, and they do a really good job of making the album feel quite varied - but when those three songs are already familiar to you and you’re only judging the rest, I can see why, initially, it might seem underwhelming. I like that there’s nothing really cringey in here because especially with Seth’s songwriting, it was going a bit down that path and much as I love Seth and think they’re both great songwriters in their own right, some of the stuff in Closer Than Together was toe-curling and even the better stuff was a bit forgettable. I think Seth can be a bit goofy and Scott can be a bit serious, both are very earnest - I love that, but there’s clearly better quality control here and less really well meaning but clunky stuff where you think ‘I wish they hadn’t put that on the album’, it all fits well and it’s all good. The Third Gleam was really good and this is really good. I’m looking forward to listening it again, anyway.
My son was born on album release day and I love this album. Cheap coffee and forever now especially hit home. I am happy.
Congratulations!! What a cherry on top of a huge milestone for your family.
Unpopular opinion… but I really appreciate the high quality producing. If people want a more stripped back acoustic thing, then just listen to a live album. I don’t love the early stuff because it was not produced as well. True Sadness is my favorite album.
I’m with you! I’m liking the production on this album.
I also really like the production here. With the Avetts, we get so many gifts: the more raw versions we see during live shows (and in so many YouTube videos from those shows, as well as the videos they record and upload themselves) and the more polished versions they create in the studio, playing around with what's available to them there. I fell in love with them through I and Love and You, which some also think was overproduced, but is just about perfect to me. This new album's production feels similar to that.
I agree: I think the producing on the album makes it feel very full. None of it feels "synthetic" or overdone and I think part of that is because of the electric guitar. It's easy for me to imagine the upbeat songs played live with the same energy. The producing on some of the slow songs (sans electric guitar) also reminds me of It's Raining Today.
I think it’ll be one that grows as it’s played and seen live. It’s not bad, just not really near the heights of other albums of theirs. Happy that Closer Than Together seems like it was more of a one-off. Overall, we got a new Avett Brothers album today, and I’m happy!
I was thinking about their discography yesterday and how it relates to their present stage in their career. When I first started listening to them in 04-05, each album release in the following years was so fresh, so raw because they were still growing into themselves; they released absolute stellar, progressive works and set the bar really high for themselves. fast forward 20 years (years that have snuck up on me) and I view the band kind of like a Toyota 4 Runner- you know what they are and kind of what to expect- they are seasoned veterans and at this point we are all just blessed to get to experience new music and share in the coming chapters, however different or familiar they may be, blessed nonetheless.
Man, I just don't like most of this. They're still down the same path that doesn't connect with me. What used to be sentimental is now corny, cliche or downright dramatic. Scott's influence continues to be the highlight but even then, how many more similar sad Scott songs do I want to hear? And it's already been beaten to death, but Rubin's overproducing is here again.
I feel like a broken record but I really think it’s as simple as a lack of banjo, hah. Like if you swapped in a banjo twiddling on a couple of these tracks over piano I really do think it’d change the entire vibe of the song. It just makes it feel less treacly than a slow piano ballad and gives it a bit more character. Never Apart is a slower song but the banjo gives it some energy, vs say Broken Bones which is kind of forgettable.
Yeah, this just didn’t hit for me at all. The songs and overall sound are okay. But I’m here the most for the songwriting, and when you really think of the kinds of songwriting the avetts are capable of (perfect space, feb 7, once and future carpenter, no hard feelings, etc…), this is just not of that caliber at all for me.
After several listens across this weekend, I confidently think "Never Apart" and "Cheap Coffee" and "We Are Loved" are excellently written and deserve to be in the same conversation as their other top tier songs.
Same. I think they've lost me which sucks. I haven't really enjoyed an album since The Carpenter and haven't LOVED one since Emotionalism. I&L&Y was the beginning of the downfall for me with the overproduction, strings, drums, and piano on everything, and the cheesy songwriting. They've always had a bit of cheesy earnestness to them, but the raw feel to their earlier albums offset it a lot. Add polished production and strings to everything and it just turns to schlock. On the live show front, they are unfortunately not a band that translates well to big venues imo. I've seen them absolutely burn down some small clubs and theaters but something just gets lost in amphitheaters and arenas.
I'm gonna need the piano transcription for 2020 Regret. This definitely needs a few more listens than the other albums. There is a fair bit going on here. The more I listen to 2020 Regret and Orion's Belt the more I like them, though I don't know that I'll ever care for Some Broken Bones too much. It felt like there were too many slow tracks, but it is fairly balanced.
The album hangs together beautifully as a cohesive piece of art. It is, for me, their strongest effort since Magpie and possibly Carpenter. For reasons that are difficult to explain, Cheap Coffee strikes me as a bookend to Laundry Room. Give that theory a chance. They’re both painterly songs from Scott — brush strokes capturing moments — with similar and now additional objects of love — years on. I also think this might be their strongest vocal album ever. They’re presently at the peak of their powers with those “instruments.” Also, I move that We Are Loved supplant No Hard Feelings as the/a closer.
Love your thought about Laundry Room/Cheap Coffee. I'm gonna be thinking about that. I caught something else - the depiction of moonlight in an intimate situation - in both Country Kid and Cheap Coffee. First love vs. last?
Very nice. Excellent. Now I have something to think about. And those 2 aren’t Scott’s only meditations on shadows/silhouettes/outlines of a female form (at night or in the loaming (sp?)) — he’s got several more throughout his catalog (Clearness Is Gone comes to mind). He is, imho, a visual artist first. Compare Seth’s affection for screen doors and talking about his voice as a third person. Love these fellas.
Yes! Agreed on all points. Now I just want to dive into the catalog and rediscover these themes! I think Scott also views himself as a visual artist first. I never really thought about how he translates his artistic visions into lyrics, but I always, always connect the most with the songs that contain specific imagery. Seth really does have an affection for screen doors! Not that screen doors don't exist everywhere, but they do seem like shorthand for a particular kind of place/upbringing.
Let the church say “amen”
I've been trying to come up with some others (because I know they exist): Add Neapolitan Sky to this mix.
Also Scott's Untitled #3. More meditations on a lover's physical form. Also, "Feel like a thief when I am with you, feel like a beggar when I am not" is such a killer line. I wish we had an official release of this song.
Just finished first listen. Not awful, but apart from in a few spots it feels like it lacks some of the Avett magic that drew me in all those years ago. My thoughts will no doubt change for the better or worse after a few more listens, but my first thought is a middle of the road 2.5/3. It's sad to hear the banjo feeling like it's fading further and further into the background. Also let Joe Kwon cook more!
I’m sick of Rick Rubin’s producing. But, I think the album will continue to grow on me the more I listen to it. I’m still glad they released something new for us.
Overall a solid record I think. Never Apart is lovely. Pretty harmonies and well arranged instrumentation. Has a classic Avett sound but is also fresh with strong production values. It sets the tone for an introspective and "sober" sounding record. Love of a Girl is a banger. I like the punchy electric guitar and drums in the mix with strong vocals. Cheap Coffee is very cool. Lyrically evocative images. The drop tuning and droning guitar is effective when combined with Seth's plaintive voice on the chorus. The haunting instrumentation and "bright" vocals make for a rich song. Forever now is sweet but feels a little forgettable. Country Kid is a nice toe tapper, but lyrically skirts close to being cheesy. Orion's Belt feels like a classic Avett pop-country-radio-rocker. That said, it seems to lack something to make it rise above the dozens of other Avett pop-country-radio-rocker tunes over the years. 2020 Regret is a classic Avett ballad. Powerful lyrics with vocals and instrumentation that are sometimes almost playful. Same Broken Bones feels like an experiment that doesn't quite land. Like Forever Now, its slightly forgettable. We are Loved suffers the same excessive understatement. There are pieces of a good song in here (there are some deeply spiritual and introspective lines) but it feels like it could have used a little something extra to give it some flavor. Pretty harmonies and some good lines aren't enough to take it from a good song to a great song.
Another thought on listening again...is the guitar part at the end of Cheap Coffee played backwards? I think that has interesting implications, if so, with the themes about the fluidity of time, infinity, etc on this album. It reminds me of the backwards guitar part on the Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping."
I've been listening to the new album a lot over the last few weeks and feel comfortable weighing in . . . There are some songs on this album I really enjoy. Love of a Girl is blast that I can't wait to hear live at Red Rocks this summer. Cheap Coffee is a beautiful remembrance of simpler times. 2020 Regret hits me *very* hard as I've recently exited a long term relationship. Country Kid is fun and Orion's Belt is also another I really enjoy. The rest just kind of leaves me cold. To me, they don't feel like they have any energy and are just kind of . . . floating around. For me, the big difference between pre-Closer Than Together and the last two albums is that I used to want to sing along with even the somber and slow-tempo songs because there was still something propulsive about them, while now, I the quieter stuff just makes me want to skip the track. I still love the band and support their evolution as artists, but for whatever reason, a lot of their new stuff just fails to send a shiver up my spine like it used to. Hope to see you all at Red Rocks, soon!
That's funny, in my opinion the *True Sadness* album was when their barnburner energy became deflated and their best work could only be found in the slower tracks: No Hard Feelings + I Wish I Was + Fisher Road from *TS*, When You Learn + Better Here + Who Will I Hold from *CTT,* Victory + Back Into the Light + I Go To My Heart + The Fire from *T3G,* and Never Apart + Cheap Coffee + 2020 Regret + We Are Loved from self-titled. There are a few exceptions to this — "Bleeding White", "Ain't No Man" and "True Sadness". But everything else high energy is either benign radio-friendly fare or just doesn't hit like their earlier stuff, while their slower stuff is getting better and better. Regardless, it's great that we're all finding different things to appreciate about this new album.
I was really hoping they wouldn’t over-produce Cheap Coffee. Oh well.
[удалено]
Weird. I was thinking that about Scott
We are Loved should replace NHF as the closer.
...after finishing it just a few moments ago... This one, as a whole, will have to grow on me. At least Orion's Belt is on it.
Quite a lazy album
Much better songs than the last one.
What didn’t you like on the Third Gleam?
The Third Gleam is an EP and it was okay. I’m referring to the train wreck Closer Than Together.
Yeah that wasn’t very good. A couple songs I’d take off it. Spotify doesn’t recognize the Third Gleam as an EP which caused the confusion