The Avett Brothers & Mike Patton: AVTT/PTTN
The Avett Brothers? The country-folk band? The progenitors of the much-maligned "stomp-clap-hey" movement of the mid-to-late '00s and early '10s? On a punk & metal blog??? Yes. They're also the same ones who covered 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' by Neutral Milk Hotel and joined Chris Cornell for a gorgeous version of Pearl Jam's 'Footsteps'. They're cool. And it wouldn't be one of my reviews if I didn't offer up a hot take, so here you go: "stomp-clap-hey" is good music if you dive in past the overplayed singles of the era.
Mike Patton probably needs no introduction for the readers of this blog; but just in case you're unfamiliar, he's the vocalist behind Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk and Dead Cross in addition to a rather impressive list of collaborations (including The Dillinger Escape Plan's Under The Running Board EP), voice acting work, and compositions. Thus, while his appearance here may initially seem surprising, Patton's superhumanly diverse voice lends itself naturally to the country realm.
When I started the album, I was expecting a standard Avett Brothers record with a few verses and backup vocals from Mike Patton. And for the first two tracks, that's pretty much what it was, though we do get some production experimentation on the second track, 'To Be Known'. The banjo hangs back in the mix in favour of some beautiful pad synths, vocal harmonies and electronic percussion, and it can occasionally be heard glitching and fading into dust at the end of a verse.
By the third track, 'Heaven's Breath', however, it becomes clear that this is much more than just a feature from Patton; it's a fully collaborative effort. The song, released as a single back in October, brings Patton's flavor of heavy music to the forefront in a frenzy of distorted guitars, overblown production and his signature intense vocal delivery. He takes lead on vocals, with The Avetts only providing some backup during the song's refrain of "Come back down".
The songs here feel well-thought out and intentional in their every decision. The lyrics often contemplate nature, love, death and the human soul, and each of the three vocalists delivers their lines with purpose, emotion and personality to match. The production is subtle in some places, while in others it takes a more forward approach and becomes almost an instrument in and of itself. This is evident on tracks like the aforementioned 'To Be Known' and 'Heaven's Breath' and on their haunting, heavy, woozy version of the traditional folk song 'The Ox Driver's Song' (which might appeal to fans of Zeal & Ardor).
The closing track, 'Received', is a perfect finale for the record, answering many of the spiritual and metaphysical questions posed by the lyrics of the prior tracks, and making excellent use of field recordings to create an idyllic vision of the final resting place of a loved one. The instrumental interplays, the chord progression, the dynamic rises and falls all give the song a sense of wonder and reflection that wraps up the album on a strikingly poignant note.
AVTT/PTTN is an unexpected collaboration that I imagine will be divisive among genre-rigid fans of both artists. But for country fans who can tolerate a bit of weirdness and metal fans who can tolerate a bit of twang, this unlikely union will hit a sweet spot and ignite hopes for more albums to come.