Time (The Revelator)

A young singer/songwriter armed with a voice and sensibility far beyond her years, Gillian Welch drew widespread acclaim for her deft, evocative resurrection of the musical styles most commonly associated with rural Appalachia of the early 20th century. Welch was born in 1968 in California and grew up in West Los Angeles, where her parents scored the music for the comedy program The Carol Burnett Show. It was as a child that she became fascinated by bluegrass and early country music, in particular the work of the Stanley Brothers, the Delmore Brothers, and the Carter Family.

In the early '90s, Welch attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA, where she began performing her own material, as well as traditional country and bluegrass songs, as part of a duo with fellow student David Rawlings. After honing their skills in local open mike showcases, the duo began performing regularly throughout the country. While opening for Peter Rowan in Nashville, they were spotted by musician and producer T-Bone Burnett, who helped Welch and Rawlings land a record deal. With Burnett producing, they cut 1996's starkly beautiful Revival, an album split between bare-bones duo performances — some even recorded in mono to capture a bygone sound — and more full-bodied cuts featuring legendary session men like guitarist James Burton, upright bassist Roy Huskey Jr., and drummers Buddy Harmon and Jim Keltner.

Her sophomore album, Hell Among the Yearlings, followed in 1998. The years following her second release found Welch involved in several soundtracks (O Brother Where Art Thou, Songcatcher), tribute albums (Songs of Dwight Yoakam: Will Sing for Food, Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons), and guest spots on other artists' albums (Ryan Adams' >Heartbreaker, Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia). Following the success of O Brother, Welch and Rawlings found themselves in the center of a traditional American folk revival and released their third album, Time (The Revelator), in mid-2001. Steady touring, guest appearances, and the release of a DVD (he Revelator Collection) kept the pair busy, but in 2003 they found time to record Soul Journey, their second release on their own Acony Records label.

Gillian Welch's third album, Time (The Revelator), finds the folk vocalist and musician shifting her attention from achingly beautiful mountain ballads to achingly beautiful pop/rock ballads. Regarding this album, Welch states: "As opposed to being little tiny folk songs or traditional songs, they're really tiny rock songs. They're just performed in this acoustic setting. In our heads we went electric without changing instruments." This philosophy is most evident in songs like "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll" and "Elvis Presley Blues," with her longtime collaborator David Rawlings accompanying her on Louvin-esque high harmonies and vintage guitar. Fans of the duo's neo-old-timey sound will be happy to hear a few of their familiar, intimate dust bowl folk songs peering through the fence posts.

The banjo-driven "My First Lover" could've been recorded on Alan Lomax's back porch, while the title track aches and moans along with the best of her two previous albums. Rawlings' production on the album remains warm and intimate throughout, capturing the subtleties of the acoustic instruments and earthy harmonies. Highlights include the passionate romp "Red Clay Halo," which includes the best elements of time-honored folk stylings and their newfound passion for rock & roll, and the hushed awe that captures the audience in the Ryman Auditorium during the live recording of "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll." Time (The Revelator) ends with an unprecedented 15-minute track called "I Dream a Highway," which drifts lazily through the album's final moments, sweetly dozing in the current like Huck and Jim's Mississippi River afternoons. Welch and Rawlings are at the top of their form and continue to make the best Americana recordings without resorting to drenching their albums in guest stars, but by writing and performing heartfelt songs that speak with a clear and undeniable honesty.

— Zac Johnson

Although his hardcore Compton posturing may have led you to believe otherwise, Tracy Morrow (aka Ice T) was not raised in a Los Angeles ghetto. The Original Gangsta was actually born in another O.G.-- the Original Garden State, New Jersey. But no matter his roots, T had gangsta in his goddamn blood. After his parents died, T realized his ice-cold destiny, determined to move to South Central and adopt the gangsta lifestyle. And adopt it he did, rising above his critics to rap convincingly about killing people, selling addictive drugs, and enjoying the copious bounty of many large black asses. Luckily for Gillian Welch, the path to acclaim in the folk-country genre doesn't require moving to Oklahoma, Appalachia, or a Mississippi riverbank. Nor does it call for songs about killing people, peddling crack, or mining for black ass-gold (in fact, the latter is probably anathema to the cause). Rather, it's just fine if you sound like you know what you're doing and appreciate tradition, and Welch achieves that with ease. Gillian Welch's third LP, Time (The Revelator) is ample proof. Despite being born and raised in Los Angeles, the child of a husband and wife songwriting duo who scored the theme to "The Carol Burnett Show," Welch has managed to create some refreshingly charming, rustic folk-country music that bears the mark of a culture buried in the Blue Ridge, 3000 miles removed from her home. That she's only 33 makes her feat of authenticity even more remarkable. Welch's selling-point are her plaintive vocals, as tender as they are weathered. Her voice is, in and of itself, a stereotype of the South: genteel, soulful and honest. Even with seemingly frivolous lyrics like on "Elvis Presley Blues," Welch's voice expresses depth, coloring the song with experienced, time-warped romanticism. Accompanying Welch on vocals is a soft palette of acoustic instrumentation. Although the songs carry a greater pop influence than her prior releases, the sound is still unmistakably country. Strummed or fingerpicked acoustic guitar occupies the foreground on most tracks, with the occasional twang of a banjo, as on the bluesy "My First Lover." Adding to the spacious character of the orchestration is the album's absence of percussion. The result is plenty of room for melodies, with the focus squarely on Welch's voice. Time (The Revelator) wavers from heartbroken lament ("Revelator," "Everything Is Free") to Southern nostalgia ("I Want to Sing that Rock n' Roll," "Red Clay Halo") but not once does it stray from Welch's reflective, reserved storyteller's demeanor. The vocals and lyrics alike are open and vulnerable. More than simply an expression of her music, Time (The Revelator) is a glimpse into the artist's personality. Those without the heritage need to work to attain their destiny. For Ice-T, it meant moving to Compton, living the life of a hustler, and filming cinematic masterpieces like Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Frankenpenis. For Gillian Welch, it meant studying at Berklee School of Music and listening to old Delmore Brothers and Carter Family recordings. Whatever her path, though, her results are as good as the original.

— Brad Haywood, Pitchfork