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October 12 I and Love and You - Mission Statement Who writes a mission statement for an album? The Avett Brothers do, that's who. I've decided to share it below because A.) it's a lovely piece of writing and B.) I and Love and You is one of the lead candidates for my favorite album of the year (hell, even Paste Magazine gave it a 96/100...and they don't give 90's very often). “The words “I” and “Love” and “You” are the watermark of humanity.
Strung together, they convey our deepest sense of humility, of power,
of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is
so infinitely uncommon: each to proclaim these three words with his or
her very own heart and mindset of reason (or lack thereof); a
proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered.
Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an
unending array of circumstances : whispered to a newborn in a mothers
arms; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of
sympathy - said by a girl to a boy, as the respect continues but the
relationship does not. It is said too loudly by parents to embarassed
children in the company of their friends, and by grown children - to
their fading parents in hospital beds. The words are thought in the
company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It
is how we end our phone calls and our letters… the words at the bottom
of the page that trump all those above it, a way to gracefully finish a
message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gift of
all : the communication of love. And yet the words themselves have been
the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser salutations
among near strangers, burst forth casually as “love ya.” Truly? To what
degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting
of the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague
acquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of
deceit : To say “I love you” with a dramatic measure of synthetic
emotion; a snare set by those who prey upon fellow humanity, driven to
whatever selfish end, to gain access to another’s body, or their money,
or their opportunity. In this realm, the proclamation is disgraced by
one seeking to gain rather than to give. In any case, and by whatever
inspiration, these words are woven deeply in to the fibers of our
existence. Our longing to hear them from the right place is maddeningly
and simultaneously our finest strength and our most gentle weakness.
The album “I and Love and You” is unashamedly defined by such a dynamic
of duality. As living people, we are bound by this unavoidable parallel. We are powerful yet weak, capable yet temporary.
Inevitably, an attempt to place honesty within an artistic avenue will
follow suit. This is a piece which shows us as we are: products of love
surrounded by struggle. The music herein is, in many ways, readable as
both a milestone and an arrival. A chapter in the story of young men,
it bridges the space between the uncertainty of youth and the reality
of it’s release. The record is full with the quality of the question
and response. As far as questions go, there are plenty- normally
residing within the tone and delivery of the lyrics themselves, which,
ironically, are sung with so much confidence. Among songs and thoughts
so driven and purposeful, the most basic relatable doubt comes through
with a resounding clarity. Outside of the eternal theme of romantic
love, the album speaks thankfully upon a landscape of light-filled
rooms, word-filled pages, time machines, forgiveness, singing birds,
ocean waves, art ,change, confessions of shortcomings, and reasons to
continue on. Hope and a cause for smiling follow naturally. In the
midst of all this, there are allusions to the less-than-ideal
conditions of life: the loss of memory, the inability to control
temper, insecurity, indecision, jaded indifference, and the general
plague of former and current weakness. “I and Love and You” is an album
of obvious human creation, chracterized by its best and its worst.
Emotional imperfection is a reality for those who recorded the piece,
just as it is for those who will hear it. The conclusion of the song
from which the title is taken admits that the words “I love you” have
become “hard to say”. And perhaps that difficulty is as common as its
counterpart. Perhaps the inability to say these heaviest of words is as
much a part of life as the lighthearted candor of those who say them
without any difficulty at all. And so it ends with the phrase whispered
to and by those of us most defeated and most elated… I and love and
you…” TrackbacksThe trackback URL for this entry is: http://tonyaamen.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!21AF156C391AF80E!1420.trak Weblogs that reference this entry
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