Hell Among the Yearlings

Hell Among the Yearlings is the second release by Gillian Welch and her songwriting partner David Rawlings. It’s an affecting work filled with richly woven tales of death, despair, and the drugs (namely morphine and whiskey) often used to dull the pain. As with her impressive debut, Revival, these songs fit, both in subject matter and sound, into a long line of old-time folk music stretching back to the Carter Family, the Stanley Brothers, and beyond. The song arrangements are spare and spooky and the performances rustic and raw, and the inclusion of banjo on “The Devil Had a Hold of Me,” “One Morning,” and “Rock of Ages” adds a critical element to the overall feel. Elsewhere, “Honey Now” veers into rockabilly territory and includes electric guitar, bass, and drums, and the haunting “Whiskey Girl” features quietly commanding piano. For the most part, though, the album is dominated by the duo’s crisp and economical guitar playing and emotionally direct vocals. Welch’s slightly twangy voice is understated yet powerful and Rawlings adds perfectly plaintive harmonies throughout.