The Carpenter is my first experience of the Avett Brothers. It is far from their first album. At the time of this writing, it isn’t even their most recent, but my experience of this album comes as a complete surprise to me. I first heard of them at Best Buy as they played on the video loop. I tried the album out and found that I didn’t really care for more than a couple songs. For some reason, a year later, I returned to it and found that I liked almost every single song.
What stands out to me most in the collection is that that lyrics complement the melodies absolutely perfectly. The instruments create very exact feelings and the lyrics accompany them like its some kind of science, So much so that you could probably guess what the song is about before hearing a single word. In the best songs the lyrics are timeless. In most, they don’t stand above simply being clever. Still, each song is a distinct experience. For that, these guys deserve some kudos.
It seems clear though that these guys can only go so far in the composition of their lyrics. Impressively, they seem to know that. At key points in some songs, they will stop singing and simply let the instruments do the talking. Each time in happens through the album, the timing seems perfect. It’s clear that the songs written here came from the heart, but when they couldn’t find the right words for a topic, they just play the song and expect the listener to just get it from the melody. Luckily, they nail it.
The Once and Future Carpenter is the first song and so happens to be my favorite. It tells the long story of a wanderer, not really coming to any conclusions except “If I live the life I’m given, I won’t be scared to die.” The carpenter (the subject of the song) seems content with wandering, and has his mind made up about every possible scenario that could come. The melody carries the sense of conclusion, ongoing journey, and resignation. Its odd; as well as this song fits at the beginning of the album, it could just as easily fit at the end of it.
“And now I spend my days in search
of a woman we call ‘purpose’
and if I ever pass back through her town, I’ll stay.”
February Seven If a mysterious entry that seems to be about recovering from a variety of events. The chorus communicates a lesson learned, but its hard to tell what the conclusion of the song really is, leaving an absolutely beautifully written lyric wide open for interpretation, which is one of the things that make the song easy to return to.
“I found as I regained my feet
a wound across my memory
that no amount of stitches would repair
but I awoke, and you were standing there.”
A Father’s First Spring really hits home for me. The title says it all; a new father singing about his experience of becoming a parent. Being a new father myself, this song is coming to me at a perfect time. I can’t help but think of my little girl when it plays. The lyrics aren’t genius, but again the simple melody complements the subject so perfectly. It rouses emotions in me as much as it seems to the singer.
“The realist thing I ever felt
was the blood on the floor
and the love in your yell
I was a child before
the day that I met Elanor.”
The topics of the album bounce around wildly, seemingly covering way more than they should in a single effort. That’s a knock at them. But then on the other hand, it lends itself to astounding variety from song to song. The album will end before you feel like you’re done exploring it, and then you’ll start it over, realize you’re hooked and now you look like a sucker.
I liked 11 of the 12 songs, giving this album a 92%
The Lumineers exist in a genre that is tough to define. I suppose they are mostly folk. But then they take the stories from country and combine them with the simple melodies of a coffee house scene. In many songs, the band seems to hold back so much for the sake of being catchy, memorable and ultimately better; it is evidenced in short choruses, short songs and genius lyrics. Being their first CD, the taste of their music is refreshing and exciting. Being as it borders on being overly simple, I wonder if they can carry the catchiness of their tunes into their second album, whenever they decide to release it. Oh well, let's get into the standout songs.
The album begins with "Flowers in Your Hair" a steady, slightly upbeat tune that contrasts childhood and adulthood. It explores memories and the emotions that they associate, coming to the chorus "Be in my eyes, be in my heart.” It repeats once and then moves to the next verse. The simplicity and short breadth demonstrates the restrained creativity that makes up the album.
“All the things we said, we were self assured.
Cause its a long road to wisdom, but a short one to being ignored.”
Classy Girls is a song rooted in country music, and opens to the sounds of a small town bar scene that continue to play through the first verse as he sings out the story of trying to pick up a girl from a bar who is continually rejecting him physically, but continues to spend the night hanging out with him. It starts out chill, then just turns into a cheerful comedy of sorts. The song is more humorous than it is anything else.
“I made her laugh, I made a pass, I showed her my half dollar ring, she said that's pretty cool. But classy girls don’t kiss in bars, you fool.”
Submarines is my standout favorite. it uses the piano as a percussion instrument, a guitar strum that is barely noticeable and a heavy drum that continually tries to outbang the piano. The lyrics, clever as always, tell the story of a boy who spots a submarine during wartime. The catchiest song of the album, this one continually changes. You won’t have the structure of the song down until you’ve listened to it a few times.
“ran back to town bar and I told the people how
I had seen a submarine and everyone laughed aloud.”
Though the majority of songs are upbeat, the album has its share of sadness. Dead Sea is a song with a story I haven’t quite figured out, but carries a tune that makes it worth listening to again and again. Stubborn Love has the common idea of a girl who continually hurts him, but he can’t let go because he loves her and its just that simple. They aren’t my favorites, but unlike most sad songs, they play very well in the background of a social event.
Flapper Girl somehow creates the sense of childhood with a simple piano melody that repeats and repeats, being carried by, again, the songs clever lyrics. The song stands out because of the imagery it creates. It tells multiple stories and in the chorus, asks the question “Would you call, would you write back baby?” It is the final joyful song in the album, being followed by the only song in the album I actually dislike, Morning Song, which lacks the characteristics of all other songs on the album, playing a bitter, darker melody that puts a sour final taste on the album.
“Local boy, local news
Power lines, hanging boots
firemen in the trucks cut loose
a local boys shoes.”
I like 10 of the 11 songs, giving this album a score of 90%
