This album, just like her previous three, is going to go far. In the album's first track, Welch sings, "Oh, me oh my-oh-look at Miss Ohio." Look at Gillian Welch. Whether one is a fan of traditional country, contemporary folk music, or beautifully crafted lyrics and songs, Soul Journey is a must for any CD collection. Most obviously, "No One Knows My Name" is strikingly Carter-esque, the tune even being an exact copy to the note of "Motherless Children," one of country music's first family's classic songs. Tracks such as "Lowlands" are reminiscent of songs by Neil Young and other musical geniuses of the early to mid-'70s and "Wayside" could easily be covered by Nanci Griffith with little differences between the two recordings. While the entire album, from lyrics to arrangements to music, is the product of Welch and Rawlings' own creativity, the echoes of Welch's greatest musical influences cannot be hidden. While the album includes far more production (namely, the frequent use of drums) than her previous records, it does not overtake or drastically alter the sound, and in fact adds a folk/rock flavor to tracks such as "Wrecking Ball" (not to be confused with the title track of Emmylou Harris's 1995 album-this one is a Welch/Rawlings original). Tracks such as the bluesy "Look At Miss Ohio" and "I Had A Real Good Mother and Father," with its soaring vocals as the prominent focus of the song, seem to echo the finest moments of Revival, Welch's debut album, while "One Little Song" and "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor" conjure up thoughts of "Dear Someone" and "Everything Is Free" from her preceding release. While it fails to match the diversity and overall quality of Revelator, Soul Journey makes for a stunning album and excellent continuation of the style she has established over the last several years. The follow up to 2001's critically acclaimed Time (The Revelator), Welch once again delivers a collection of beautiful original songs sure to impress any listener of great folk music. Thus, it is no surprise that Soul Journey, Welch's fourth album, is no exception to this rule. Despite the fact that she is one of the most underrated musicians in the music world, Welch, along with her musical partner David Rawlings, is apt at producing music that consistently wow her fan base. In short, from her lyrics to instrumentation to appearance, Welch seems decidedly out of place in a culture where the very mention of country music conjures up images of Faith Hill and a skankily clad Shania Twain. Her low, haunting vocals, combined with acoustic, traditionally styled songs create music that sounds as if it came right out of the era when the recordings of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family gave birth to country music over seventy years ago. There's something about Gillian Welch's music that is enough to make any listener believe that she is a walking anachronism. For Welch and for us, Soul Journey is yet another fascinating rest stop on the never-ending road to self-discovery. With the trusty David Rawlings again at Welch's side, the songwriting and production till the earth between their old-time heroes and more modern troubadours like Townes Van Zandt and Neil Young (both the bucolic strummer and, on the closing "Wrecking Ball," the ragged electric wanderer). As the title portends, the concept of travel (physical and emotional) is a prevailing thread throughout these 10 tracks she sings of rolling stones "on the road to sin," travelers on "black highways," girls "running around with the ragtop down" and "at the station rolling slow." These characters, perhaps autobiographical, are simultaneously searching for and running away from their pasts, while soft drums, fiddles, organs, and Dobros add a welcome bit of lightness. After 2001's austere, solemn, at times inscrutable Time (The Revelator), this follow-up finds Welch showing more warmth, ease, and openness as both singer and songwriter. Soul Journey brings her ever closer to that elusive goal. Yet, one can make the case that she's still searching for her own true artistic voice. Blessed with a soulful and expressive voice and an innate grasp of the melodies and themes of traditional country music, Gillian Welch has made three beautiful, often brilliant, albums.
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