The Avett BrothersThe Avett Brothers

Banjo-driven and big-hearted, the North Carolina siblings pour everything into ragged harmonies and stomping front-porch energy. There's a homespun urgency here, the sound of voices straining toward the rafters and strings worked until they buzz. Earnest, rootsy, and unguarded, it's folk-rock with dirt under its fingernails. Warm enough to feel like family by the second listen.