The Avett Brothers change up the pace on True Sadness

“Smithsonian” is Seth and Scott Avett at their finest, sarcastically claiming to have discovered a series of oft-quoted platitudes for the first time - “Call the Smithsonian I made a discovery / Life ain't forever and lunch isn't free / Loved ones will break your heart with or without you / Turns out we don't get to know everything”, the brothers jest.

The stomp-stomp-clap drums on single “Ain’t No Man” work better than expected, and the song’s group vocals feel spontaneous and inspired. The absence of guitar and reliance on punchy bass is a bold decision that few folk acts would make, and highlights why The Avett Brothers are important in a world full of Mumford & Sons.

The brothers occasionally can come off a bit corny, as they do with their stretch of O Brother, Where Art Thou? yodeling on “Divorce Separation Blues” or the islandy “Victims of Life”, but it’s refreshing to hear a band who have such a successful comfort zone venture out of it.

Experimentation does have its downsides, and “Satan Pulls the Strings” leans on an electronic motif that doesn’t mesh with anything the brothers do particularly well. The song is harsh and comes off sounding dated; it should serve as a warning to the next intrepid folk artist who attempts to mix banjos, fiddles, and synths.

An album titled True Sadness wouldn’t be complete without a few somber moments, and The Avett Brothers actually do some of their best work on “Fisher Road to Hollywood”, a stirring tale of pulling out of a tailspin and leaving behind friends headed down a bad path.

The record doesn’t fully commit to a new direction, so its primary audience will still be Avett diehards, but it’s a fun listen for the summer and a testament to the brothers’ enduring success as one of the savvier folk groups out there.