I’m addicted to The Avett Brothers. It started in high school after my brother happened to tell me about them. I fell in love! I combed through their intense and soul-satisfying lyrics and sat astounded hearing their amazing vocals. They sang about love, faith, life, family, friends and all the essentials.
I realized I was addicted to them after my brother and I watched The Avett Brothers perform in Charlotte, North Carolina on New Year’s Eve in 2013. It was a magical night and the first concert I'd been to. Their stage presence is everything. Their lyrics are powerful, they pour their soul and essence into every song they write and preform and they seem very genuine.
Here are five, powerful Avett Brother songs I would recommend first time listeners to check out:
1. “Love Like the Movies” from their 2003 released album “A Carolina Jubilee”
This song reminds us all that love isn’t perfect, even though we all want it to be. No one’s love life is as dramatic or romantic as movies make them out to be. Take any movie adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. No one’s love life is like that. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a reminder of what ordinary love is like.
2. “Talk on Indolence” from their 2006 released album “Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions”
The beginning of this song is what I focus on. The whole thing is great, don’t get me wrong. But the beginning points out how we should avoid locking ourselves into what we work on.
The song talks about how we should not forget what goes on in the world around us. We have to be serious and focused on what we do, but we also have to look up from our work, have some fun and let ourselves take a breath of fresh air.
3. “Find my Love” from their 2006 released album “The Gleam”
This song really talks about how important it is to think before we speak so that we don't hurt others. They aren’t necessarily talking about lying, just not hurting others with our words.
“What makes it easy to treat people bad? Some things you say and you can’t take it back.”
Gossiping, being too blunt and sometimes not taking into account people’s sensitivity levels, can hurt them. This song is a good reminder to be better and more caring towards others.
4. “All my Mistakes” from their 2007 released album “Emotionalism”
This song talks about how no matter what you regret or want to change in your past, what you did made you who you are today and gave you what you have now.
5. “Laundry Room” from their 2009 released album “I and Love and You”
This song speaks to me on different levels. On the surface, it deals with young love. It takes you back to the puppy love everyone got into in high school or middle school: your parents not wanting you to date or be involved with that person, sneaking out (I don’t judge). It takes you back to those raw teenage emotions that change as you get older.
What really speaks to me about this song is the last few lines, “I am a breathing time machine, I’ll take you all for a ride.”
Some might interpret this line differently, but I like to believe that it relates to myself as a writer. The first part of this song is written from the point of view of one of the lovers involved in the relationship, but to me, these last two lines are written from The Avett Brothers' point of view.
They are saying that by writing the song as they did, they are the time machine that takes you back to that young love and makes you remember and feel that love all over again. That’s how my writing or any writing really, should be; a time machine to take the reader back to some similar emotion or memory the author is trying to convey.
So, go and fall in love with The Avett Brothers like I have. Listen to every album and memorize each and every line of their songs, like I have. They’re worth it!
