Avett Brothers - 'The Second Gleam'

It's fitting that the Avett Brothers release The Second Gleam in the dead middle of summer. The whole record sounds like summer nights. You can almost hear the buzz of a mosquito lamp and the crickets in the dank, heavy heat; you can almost watch the sunset.

Short but Sweet

At only six songs, this record is sure to leave listeners wanting more. It's full of sweet love songs written solely for acoustic guitar, banjo, and vocals. Occasionally, a xylophone makes an appearance, but the songs are mostly more of the same lovely, indefinable tunes for which the Avett Brothers have become known.

As is customary in the realm of new acoustic music, the Avetts show the influence of everyone from the Beatles to contemporary singer/songwriters. Gleam II is a little more reserved and introspective than fans may be used to from some of their previous work. Still, it proves to be a fortuitous departure, as the songs here showcase the Avett Brothers' songwriting and instrumental skills without using any more instrumentation than necessary.

Highlights

"The Greatest Sum" (purchase/download) is perhaps the record's finest moment, singing about the confusion that comes arm in arm with the intrinsic commitment of family: "There was no love worth sharing like the love that let us share our name." It's a nice follow-up to the album's opener "Tear Down the House" (purchase/download), which addresses childhood memories and life's firsts.

"Souls Like Wheels" (purchase/download) closes out the EP quietly, with just the refrain, "Let me go" and a subtle, simple finger-picked guitar.