Brothers in charms; Scott and Seth Avett occupy a diamond-like place in the current indie-folk love-in.
A couple of years ago the Avett Brothers played a memorable London gig - it's not easy to shake the Shepherds Bush Empire, but they did. Theirs is irresistible top-tappin' Americana, laced with sadness and pathos. But they also prove that a well-played banjo can mend a broken heart.
The Avetts been making great music for over a decade, so on the one hand it's irksome that harmless-enough Mumfords come along and take the limelight in this stretchy genre.
On the other hand, the Avett Brothers remain, to some extent, a special secret this side of the Atlantic. They are the real thing. There's moonshine in their blood and snakes in their boots.
The former Town and Country Club is a fine venue. It fits some bands better than others and it's not an easy place to get buzzing, but despite its scale and the icy winter night, the Avett Brothers make this feel like a cosy Carolina sing-along. It's about as intimate as you can get with a couple of thousand others.
With no disrespect to the rest of their European dates, the Avetts say they have had an eye on this one since they set out on tour. Latest album 'The Carpenter' gets a strong outing. It got mixed reviews last year, from good to excellent; sharper critics rightly allowed for this band's high standards. It's a fine record with some of their best songwriting.
The Avett Brothers have to be seen and heard live. As good as they are on record (especially with Rick Rubin on the knobs) nothing compares to their stage performances. They open as most bands would hope to close, bringing down the house with a stomping 'Down with the Shine'. It's a safe bet when you've got such depth in your catalogue. The warm up is complete.
There's a universal cheer when Scott Avett sings, "I keep telling myself that I can't make everybody happy, but I do!" Erstwhile understatement and self-deprecation makes this all possible.
Remember the TV show The Waltons? Imagine what the costume department must've looked like. Now you can see The Forum on March 14th - there's old school plaid, flat caps and even belts and braces on show. On stage however, the siblings seem to have found their inner James Brown. Nothing's chequered. The brothers look skinny as whippets and they rock out. It even gets a bit funky - Avett senior does a little shuffle and slide (not holding his banjo, that would look silly).But when they pare it back, the Avett Brothers steal hearts.
It seems Seth Avett leads the vocals more often on this tour. His voice isn't the more powerful or soulful, but it's more countrified and carries an eye-watering vulnerability. "If I live the life I'm given, I won't be scared to die," he sings on the new record's title track. They've toured for months, but this sounds fresh with a resigned mix of wistful positivity and aching insecurity.
Throughout, we're reminded of the partnership's perfect combination of strengths: the words and the tunes are marvellous. The band is fantastic too, especially with a cello and double bass up front of stage,
The hands-off romance of 'Laundry Room' is one of the night's most popular songs: "... stall your mother, disregard your father's words - close the laundry door, tiptoe across the floor, keep your clothes on, I got all that I can take."
This is a delicate love song, possibly of love denied. It resonates one-to-one with everyone from the beardy Stella-swigging chaps (usual disappointing lack of ales at the bar) to the significant contingent of swooning thirty-something ladies. When the brothers sing together, especially just before the encore with the desperate and despondent 'Backwards With Time', their roots are bared. Time and again, the songs are seemingly simple and yet meaningful. They are clever lyricists and it's satisfying that they're not easily pigeon-holed; it's blue grass meets folk meets country meets Appalachian meets southern soul. If they were food, they'd be Mississippi mudpie.
Hearts ache and grown men swallow hard when 'Through My Prayers' is sung. It's too much to take - the groaning sense of loss is palpable. You can't understand how they can perform this without a hug.
Highlights include the hard-to-beat 'I and Love and You', 'The Once and Future Carpenter' and, in the encore, the almost polemic 'Life' - an arresting and life-affirming finale.
Nigel Watts