Gillian Welch - Soul Journey

Had a tough time choosing this Gillian Welch album to write about because its not exactly my favorite of hers, that being Time (The Revelator), but this one has been slowly growing on me this past year. Soul Journey was released in 2003, and its a shame that she has not released anything since then, though she remains active touring. Welch is joined by guitarist Dave Rawlings who also produced the album, which features a few added instruments not present on Welch's previous releases (drums, electric guitar, etc.). Gillian Welch and Rawlings musically sprawl out from bluegrass, but the added instrumentation on a few songs brings with it a bit more variety. Soul Journey at times, lacks momentum, and instead chooses the laid back route. Its an album that is more likely to be enjoyed on a hot summer porch or perhaps driving cross state or country, than her previous albums. 


Gillian Welch - "Look At Miss Ohio"

"Look At Miss Ohio" is the first song on the album. The instrumentation sits softly in the back while Welch's vocals are strongly sung, forming the driving force within the song. She is a beautiful painter, not so much with the words she chooses, but the tone and overall delivery. When the drums start in we still have the rest of the instruments plucking in and out from the background. The vocal break is allowed to exist for just the right length. When Welch's voice returns we really feel settled into the song, this lasts for another few verses, before she slips away again and the song plays out. 


Gillian Welch - "No One Knows My Name"

Banjo and violin introduce this catchy song and sets up the melody. The lyrics speak from a more personal take, touching on family and the self. The banjo plucking and violin really stand out here (there's guitar in there as well), and fill in the gaps between the vocal parts masterfully. For an album entitled Soul Journey, this is a perfect song, with its introspective tone and mournful sound, all the way to its classic melody and structure.

Rawlings and Welch have collaborated again recently, but this time it is in support of Rawlings first solo release. The Dave Rawlings Machine is touring currently and worth looking into if they happen to be touring where you live (I'm not so lucky). It is becoming increasingly concerning that there has not been another Gillian Welch release following this album, we can only hope that this will come to pass and there will be a fifth album released in the near future. In the mean time I certainly recommend checking out her previous releases along with Soul Journey. You can find them all through her website, gillianwelch.com. This link is directly to her online store.