<\/p>\n
Scott and Seth Avett, the core of the Avett Brothers, have had their career obsessively stickered with the a-word<\/strong> \u2014 Americana. But they wouldn\u2019t let that get in the way of working with their hero-cum-friend Mike Patton, fearless frontman for Faith No More and co-founder of Ipecac Recordings.<\/p>\n The trio doesn\u2019t remember how its collaboration, the AVTT\/PTTN band, ignited. Scott may have sent Patton a fan letter of sorts that moved the singer to respond. And, on more than one occasion, Seth and Scott have professed their love for Patton. \u201cMike\u2019s part of our DNA, like the fabric of our youth,\u201d Scott revealed. \u201cHe\u2019s a dear friend now, but when we were younger, I was imitating him.\u201d<\/p>\n More from Spin:<\/p>\n Patton had also been an Avetts fan and longed for a time when \u201csomehow I would find an outlet that was more personal, an environment that was more peaceful. On a personal level, this project came at a point in my life when I was looking to pivot.\u201d<\/p>\n It turns out that the roots of AVTT\/PTTN weren\u2019t stitched up with contriving a bold musical statement.\u00a0 While the proceedings can be askew (\u201cThe Ox Driver\u2019s Song,\u201d yeah!), the record is not about comfort-zone evacuation. Patton\u2019s judicious use of effects and vocal timbres<\/a> maximizes the Avetts\u2019 various mise-en-sc\u00e8ne atmospheres. Likewise, the Avetts\u2019 complete the reciprocity circle by allowing Patton the space to conjure more melodic and introspective vistas of his own design (\u201cDark Night of My Soul,\u201d \u201cEternal Love\u201d). And standing in an actual desert is better than iPhone footage, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n After collaborating with their artistically deranged compadre, could the Avetts ever return to the plaintive mindset that got them rolled into the \u201cAmericana<\/a>\u201d general store inside their fans\u2019 noggins? The answer is simple: Who cares? AVTT\/PTTN\u2019s intentions may be best described in the same way James Bond approaches martinis: your consciousness might be shaken, but your heart will remain stirred.<\/p>\n