I admit it. I was scared of this album at first. A longtime fan of the lovely, heartfelt, punky-bluegrass folk sound of the Avett Brothers, I have listened to their earlier albums countless times and lauded the merits of their music to anyone who would listen. The North Carolina trio, which includes brothers Seth and Scott Avett and their friend John Twomey, know a thing or two about the intricacies of the human heart regarding both love and ambition (their last album was called Emotionalism) and they express it simply and beautifully. This latest release, however, was produced by industry giant Rick Rubin, the co-founder of Def Jam Records and the man behind acts like The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica. Yeah, I was scared. What would a rap and heavy metal producer, not to mention a major label and the inevitable mainstream attention do to this indie-darling band?

Fortunately, my fears were misguided. I and Love and You is a formidable record that fits well into the rest of the Brothers’ catalogue, and contains more than a few songs that are absolutely stunning. While I and Love and You is more polished and perhaps tamer than earlier releases, that’s a change that likely comes equally from Rubin’s influence as well as the Brothers’ maturing.

From the start, “And it Spread” showcases the straightforward, genuine sound the brothers are known for, with violins and a punchy, Weezer-esque chorus (yes, I said Weezer) that bears Rubin’s stamp. A thrilling rat-a-tat drum break during the bridge is very compelling and fresh, and the next few tracks keep up the dynamic teasing. If the title of “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” wasn’t enough to pinpoint exactly where these boys stand on the convoluted map of human emotion, the music speaks for itself. Builds and breaks, organs and violins, and the blend of voices all combine to play with the dynamics and keep the music interesting.

But just when you think this is a record full of polished, heartbreaking ballads — lovely for sure, but missing a certain earnest rawness — the boys come back with the hooky “It Goes On and On,” which features swinging piano riffs and a two-step beat, and they follow it up with the simple, folksy “January Wedding,” suitable for a sing-a-long on a broken-down front porch somewhere in the rural country.

It’s not that their lyrics are terribly flooring, or that they incorporate new, groundbreaking ideas about life and love. But that’s exactly what makes these songs instantly so familiar and comforting. They hit the mark when they sing, “It’s not the chase that I love/It’s me following you” on “Kick Drum Heart,” an upbeat, plinky tune with appropriate drum breaks that imitate a heartbeat.

“Slight Figure of Speech” is a departure; it incorporates Dr. Dog-esque ooohs and handclaps, as well as a rapid-fire spoken bridge that sounds almost — dare I say it? — like rap. I guess that’s what you get when you work with the guy who produced Jay-Z’s The Black Album. This track is the weakest here, sounding an awful lot like everything the Avett Brothers are not, but luckily it is immediately followed by the best track, and the album’s only single.

I cannot say enough about the merits of the title track, “I and Love and You,” a piano ballad with lyrics that cut deep, elegant phrasing that highlights the Brothers’ harmonies, and one of the best choruses I’ve heard in a while. Every line counts here, but it’s the chorus that shines most strongly: “Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in/Are you aware the shape I’m in?/My hands they race, my head it spins/Oh Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in.” This is the song that will launch the Avett Brothers into the level of attention they deserve.

And if collaborating with one of the biggest mainstream-music producers of our time didn’t strip the Avett Brothers of their originality and authentic emotion, then I think we can confidently pass the torch of the Americana music tradition onto this trio, since they seem ready to inherit it.

The Avett Brothers will be performing at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore on Oct. 15.