Albums to watch

ADM Chart topper

The Harrow & The Harvest

Gillian Welch

The Harrow & The Harvest

Fifth album and first for eight years from the Bluegrass singer-songwriter and her partner Dave Rawlings

ADM rating[?]

8.5

Label
Acony
UK Release date
27/06/2011
US Release date
28/06/2011
  1. 10.0 |   musicOMH

    This is one of the most defiantly traditional, non-radical and deceptively simple albums in recent memory
    Read Review

  2. 10.0 |   Daily Telegraph

    American folk music at its very best
    Read Review

  3. 10.0 |   The Independent

    The familiar blending of traditional sounds and moods with modern sensibilities is effortlessly sustained
    Read Review

  4. 10.0 |   The Irish Times

    A triumph of imagination, insight and intuition
    Read Review

  5. 10.0 |   The Observer

    It is the best kind of record: one that lures you in and soothes you with harmonies and banjo, only to leave you wondering what the hell just happened
    Read Review

  6. 10.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    It's a brilliant record; probably her best
    Read Review

  7. 10.0 |   Scotland on Sunday

    Thrillingly authentic and achingly beautiful
    Read Review

  8. 10.0 |   Mojo

    Sparely and intuitively performed, it's simply excellent. Print edition only

  9. 9.0 |   All Music

    Produced by Rawlings, this set returns to the sparse instrumentation of her earliest recordings: guitars, banjos, harmonica, and hand-and-knee slap
    Read Review

  10. 9.0 |   BBC

    A melancholy marvel
    Read Review

  11. 9.0 |   PopMatters

    The gospel according to Welch and Rawlings is one that embraces darkness alongside light, pain alongside joy
    Read Review

  12. 9.0 |   Paste Magazine

    Simply one of the richest, most expansive roots albums to be released in some time
    Read Review

  13. 9.0 |   Blurt

    The pair wrap their strings and larynxes ‘round each other like the intimate companions they are, aided by production so warm and inviting it's like sitting in the room with them
    Read Review

  14. 9.0 |   FasterLouder

    Her best release was a decade ago with Time (The Revelator)... the good news is that The Harrow & The Harvest is close to matching the greatness of that album
    Read Review

  15. 9.0 |   No Ripcord

    A fully conceived album of beautifully crafted songs, and a real treat for fans and newcomers alike
    Read Review

  16. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Throughout, Rawlings and Welch seem to instinctively know just what’s needed on each track, and despite the numerous solos included, nothing ever feels over-indulgent
    Read Review

  17. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    It's as simple as music gets, and as beautiful
    Read Review

  18. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    Welch writes fine, timeless melodies, and her mostly gloomy lyrics are performed in suitably mournful, no-nonsense style
    Read Review

  19. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Her most ruggedly traditionally work yet
    Read Review

  20. 8.0 |   Q

    Its terrain, musically and emotionally, is stark and bleak but beautiful. Print edition only

  21. 8.0 |   The Scotsman

    An album which walks a dark path without ever bearing down on the listener
    Read Review

  22. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Her old-timey music doesn't live in the past
    Read Review

  23. 7.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Whereas its predecessor dabbled in electric instrumentation, The Harrow & The Harvest would fit right in at a time long before electricity was available
    Read Review

  24. 6.5 |   Prefix

    It’s kind of frustrating that Welch and Rawlings are so stuck in their ways and refuse to think outside of their weather-beaten, one-room-country-shack box
    Read Review

  25. 6.0 |   Rave Magazine

    It’s rustic, immensely tuneful and effortlessly elegant
    Read Review

  26. 6.0 |   Entertainment.ie

    An unapologetic Americana country-folk album and, for that very reason, will feel alien to some ears
    Read Review

  27. 5.8 |   A.V. Club

    Easily her most relaxed, laid-back album yet
    Read Review


blog comments powered by Disqus

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Preview & download it

Gillian Welch: The Harrow & The Harvest

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Scarlet Town £0.99
  • 2. Dark Turn Of Mind £0.99
  • 3. The Way It Will Be £0.99
  • 4. The Way It Goes £0.99
  • 5. Tennessee £0.99
  • 6. Down Along The Dixie Line £0.99
  • 7. Six White Horses £0.99
  • 8. Hard Times £0.99
  • 9. Silver Dagger £0.99
  • 10. The Way The Whole Thing Ends £0.99
  • Service provided by 7Digital

Latest Reviews

More reviews