OG Quick Take: AVTT/PTTN (s/t)
New Avett Brothers album? Eh, not that interesting to me. The Avett Brothers collaborating with Mike Patton to release an album? Hell yeah, that gets my attention.
The Avett Brothers need no introduction. They are one of the most respected and beloved folk rock bands ever.
Mike Patton also needs no introduction. He’s the singer/character/polymath best known for leading the alternative funk-metal band Faith No More and the experimental multi-genre project Mr. Bungle.
The Avett Brothers are talented but they’ve never captured my attention. They always came across as Starbucks-core to me. I’m drawn to Mike Patton because he tends to push the envelope creatively, even if his music isn’t always my cup of tea.
Their new project is called – wait for it – AVTT/PTTN and their self-titled album was released today. It lands somewhere between artsier Avett Brothers and more polished Mr. Bungle. It’s imperfect, and if anything my main criticism is Patton’s involvement should have made the album weirder.
The first single, “Eternal Love,” awkwardly blends Patton into the Avett sound. “Heaven’s Breath,” the second single, was an improvement, darker and heavier and just slightly abrasive. “Too Awesome” gets a little proggy. “The Ox Driver’s Song” puts a delightfully deranged Patton spin on a traditional folk song. “To Be Known” toggles between straight folk and orchestral grandeur. “Dark Night of the Soul” fingerpicks its way to normie bluegrass folk. “Received” is typical Avetts with sprinklings of Patton oddities.
The music world is better when artists throw the occasional curveball. AVTT/PTTN vastly exceeded my expectations – which were approaching Lulu-levels of disaster – and delivered an uneven but fascinating experiment. It might not be for everyone but I’m thrilled we have it. (Brian)
The Ox Driver's Song is such an inspired choice for what Patton brings to this collabration. Those traditional folk songs become something completly different when you introduce that kind of vocal intensity and experimentation. I had zero expectations for this but the way they blended folk storyteling with Patton's chaos has me intrigued enough to give the full album a proper listen.