Until 2009, the Avett Brothers’ debut was a very out-of-print and a much sought after album amongst roots rock fans. Re-releasing 2002’s Country Was is a great idea on two major levels — first it lets us hear how musically far they’ve grown over the years, and second these are just some damn good country songs. Seth and Scott Avett’s sibling harmonies braid together so closely that you can hear them birth a third overtone on the opening “Pretty Girl From Matthews.” The more playful “Jenny and the Summer Day” bounces and teeters on a boozy sounding standup parlor piano, giving the song the festive feel of slugging whiskey in an old bordello's saloon from the Old West. “My Losing Bet” downshifts into a weepy Americana ballad; it’s a little rough around the edges, but by the chorus you may realize that the warbling, tipsy harmonies are a big part of the song’s charm. Country Was shows The Avett Borthers finding their musical footing and in the process making the most out of a stripped-down situation where guitar, banjo, piano, and stand-up bass are the only instruments accompanying their hayseed harmonies.