The Third Gleam marks a return to their roots for The Avett Brothers, both sonically and in form with Seth and Scott playing as a trio with longtime bassist Bob Crawford. While recorded ahead of the pandemic and the social reform movements that have swept the nation, the eight-song collection captures the band's personal experiences and perspectives on themes that are undeniably universal and timely: isolation, gun violence, incarceration, historical prejudice, and mortality, along with resilience, love, faith, hope and redemption. Twelve years in the making, the third installment of their ongoing Gleam series sees the brothers continuing to share what's on their minds and in their hearts as their lives, relationships, and the world around them continue to evolve, and offering a speck of light gleaming in what appears to be a relatively long and dark night.