8. July 2025
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Seth Avett – Seth Avett Sings Greg Brown

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Seth Avett - ... Sings Greg Brown

Seth Avett - ... Sings Greg Brown
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Beautiful cover album
  • Very respectful re-interpretations of songs

Gregory Dane Brown is a folk musician from Iowa, who started his active career as a musician in 1967. Another US folk artist, Seth Avett is honoring his colleague with a 4th November 2022 album release. The album is simply called Seth Avett Sings Gret Brown – I had a listen.

 

 

Seth Avett – About The Artist

Timoth Seth Avett was born on 30th July 1980 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is an folk and folk rock artist. Avett became popular as part of the Avett Brothers, which is a band together with his brother Scott and two additional instrumentalists. In addition to this band (which is still active), he releases four solo albums so far, all using the artist name”Timothy Seth Avett as Darling”.

 

Seth Avett – … Sings Greg Brown – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 46 minutes.

1. The Poet Game

The opener was the title track of a 1994 album by Greg Brown. Seth Avett already sets a nice direction for his album: his interpretation is respectful, but also very personal. Avett does not need much to tell the story of the song – the key elements are the acoustic guitar and his gentle voice. These first six minutes of the album feel very promising.

2. Good Morning Coffee

Good Morning Coffee comes with a much stronger vibe. Seth Avett uses some drum computing and percussion sounds to define his version of the song. This one does definitely not sound like a morning grouch track, but comes with a beautiful ease.

3. Just a Bum

The 1985 original Just a Bum has been subject of a couple of cover versions already. This is not too surprising – the song just has a lovely atmosphere and a beautiful storytelling. It is a please to listen to the track performed by the clear voice of Avett.

4. You Drive Me Crazy

Seth Avett’s version of You Drive Me Crazy has a very intimate touch and makes me think rahter of jazz and blues than of folk music. Again, beautiful work on the guitar – this time, the instrument is getting some extra presence with a nice solo part.

5. I Slept All Night by My Lover

And I slept all night by my lover– what a beautiful sound. Seth Avett does another lovely job and praises this wonderful song, which has initially been released on the 1985 album In the Dark With You.

6. My New Book

One reason that the ten track album is 46 minutes long is My New Book. There are a couple of rather long tracks on Seth Avett sings Greg Brown – but this one is the only exceeding seven minutes. The song is maybe a good opportunity to introduce you to the beautiful lyrics written by Greg Brown:

It’s much too cold in the Midwest –
Chilly hands cup chilly breasts
Things not said fill up every room
As he stands there in the door
There’s no room for him anymore
She lies there saying
“Honey take one last look.”
I’ll tell it all in my new book

Seth Avett is re-telling this story in a gentle, almost reverent style. And by that creates an amazing and memorable sound.

7. Laughing River

The seventh track of this album is Laughing River. Just some 90 seconds shorter and with a rather straight folk music style – acoustic guitar strumming and beautiful stories told by a singer-songwriter. The singer is Seth Avett this time, while Greg Brown wrote the song in 1992.

8. Telling Stories

The title of the eighth song is what good songwriting is all about – Telling Stories. Needless to say that this story is again told in a lovely way.

9. Iowa Waltz

The slow Iowa Waltz is less than three minutes and thus the shortest listen of the album. The song is in fact a waltz, by the way – even though you might have to dance to it really, really slowly.

Iowa, Iowa,
Winter, spring, summer and fall.
Come and see, come dance with me,
To the beautiful Iowa Waltz.

10. Tender Hearted Child

WIth the ballad Tender Hearted Child, the album has another highlight listen right at its finale. Seth Avett does an outstanding job in this song written by a father to his child. You just have to love it.

 

Seth Avett – … Sings Greg Brown – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Seth Avett – … Sings Greg Brown – My View

Tribute albums always risk to be a cheap copy of something another artist has done better in the past. From the very first minute, you feel certain that Seth Avett will not be even close to that. The album is such a fluent, beautiful listen. A great way to honor Greg Brown – or a great way to get in touch with Brown’s music in case you don’t know it yet.

 

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