Usually, David Rawlings sidesteps the spotlight, allowing it to shine on longtime collaborator Gillian Welch. His recent album Poor David’s Almanack finds him working in unison once again with Welch and other members of the David Rawlings Machine. Together, this folk collective finds new ways to interpret old songs about common people’s faith and fears. Album highlight “Cumberland Gap” retools an Appalachian folk song recorded in the 1920s by two of Georgia’s earliest country stars, Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett. This go-around, Rawlings’ nasal vocal delivery and signature flatpicking guitar method take center stage, making the album different enough from all the great releases bearing Welch’s name.
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