View Larger
Rate it!
Average: 4.0 (98 ratings)
- Date Released: July 22, 2008
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Rock
- Label: Ramseur Records / Thirty Tigers
-
We Say...
It’s almost redundant to state that on this release the Avett Brothers return to the slowed, stripped down sound of the first Gleam EP. The acoustic pickings and strumming accompany vocals in a way that highlights the perfection in their vocal imperfections. Avett’s voice strains as he laments that “not even the hands of God can hold me back from you,” on “The Greatest Sum.” This audible proof of his efforts makes his pain that much more real and relatable. Their inclusion of the electric rendition of “The Greatest Sum” serves as a good point of reference. While just as enjoyable, once the drums and electric reverberations cloud over vocals, the power of the longing and loneliness in the original version of the love song are lost. The decision to clip The Second Gleam at EP length keeps you from getting lost in a pit of emotions, but the lyrical prowess begs for each track to be played on repeat.
-
They Say...
With its full-bodied sound and rustic energy, 2007's Emotionalism helped transform the Avett Brothers into new icons of the progressive folk scene. The album also reached some highly influential ears -- most notably those of veteran producer Rick Rubin, who signed the trio to his own American Recordings label in mid-2008. Before jumping to the big leagues, however, the Avett Brothers issued one last recording with Ramseur Records. The Second Gleam is a short and sober affair, dominated by the Avett siblings' songs about family, childhood, and death. Bassist Bob Crawford is nowhere to be found, which draws a deep line between this sparse, poignant effort and Emotionalism's sonic swell. But The Second Gleam doesn't try to be the official follow-up to Emotionalism, nor does it align itself with the ramshackle sound of the band's earliest work. Clocking in at 21 minutes, the six-song EP takes the Avett Brothers' most basic elements -- banjo, acoustic guitar, melody -- and dresses them up with warm, simple production. Had it arrived several years earlier, The Second Gleam would've been rife with mistakes and imperfect vocals, the product of a young band whose collective talents had yet to fully ripen. In 2008, however, it serves a nice reminder that the Avett Brothers do, indeed, deserve all the hype. Perhaps this is what Mr. Rick Rubin heard all along.
-
You Say...
Write a ReviewI would like to say...
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
| 01. |  |
Tear Down the House |
3:03 |  |
| 02. | |
Murder in the City |
3:14 | |
| 03. | |
Bella Donna |
3:05 | |
| 04. | |
The Greatest Sum (acoustic) |
3:23 | |
| 05. | |
Black, Blue |
4:28 | |
| 06. | |
St. Joseph's |
3:26 | |
| 07. | |
Souls Like the Wheels |
4:39 | |
| 08. | |
The Greatest Sum (electric) |
3:11 | |
Find a problem with a track? Please let us know.
08 Total Tracks, 28:29 Total Length
We will send an email to with the tracking ID for this issue.
Before reporting defective tracks, please note that you can re-download all of your tracks without losing credits. Please try to re-download your tracks in case a temporary issue caused your problem. If, after re-downloading your tracks, you are still experiencing issues, report them below.
Note: This form is for reporting defective tracks only.
For all other issues (billing, trouble downloading, etc),
contact Customer Support.
Credits
- Greg Calbi - Mastering // Scott Avett - Performer // Scott Avett - Design // Seth Avett - Performer // Doug & Telisha Williams - Producer // Doug & Telisha Williams - Engineer
Choose from over 4 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs as low as $0.25
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 30 downloads - that's less than $0.40 per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as $0.25 per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2008 All Media Guide, LLC