Poor David’s Almanack
Poor David's Almanack brings folk songs, rougher guitars and playful stories into a compact set. David Rawlings has a distinctive lead voice, but the harmonies around him are just as important. Gillian Welch and the other players give the music warmth without making every song feel overly polished. The album's appeal comes from how naturally those different parts connect.
Midnight Train opens between country blues and gospel. The voices settle around Rawlings' drawl, providing a relaxed introduction to the record's group sound. Money Is the Meat in the Coconut takes a more humorous route, with fiddle, guitar and banjo giving the unusual title plenty of musical company. The lightness of the performance makes its older folk style inviting rather than formal.
Cumberland Gap provides a stronger jolt. The darker guitar figure, bass and drums give the song a direct folk-rock force, while the instrumental break makes room for Rawlings' playing. It is a useful reminder that the record's interest in traditional forms does not rule out a rougher electric sound.
Airplane is more tender. Its melody and close harmonies give the song an emotional clarity that makes it one of the main highlights. The strings bring a larger scale, although they can also feel less necessary than the voices and guitar. Rawlings is effective here because the performance stays expressive beneath that extra arrangement.
Guitar Man adds another relaxed rock setting, with keys giving the sound a different shade. Yup and Good God a Woman return to the album's playful side. Their appeal depends on character and delivery as much as the jokes themselves, keeping the lighter material connected to the rest of the sequence.
Lindsey Button is less economical. Its repeated refrain extends a simple idea further than it needs to go, slowing the record's progress. Put 'Em Up Solid offers a more satisfying country-gospel ending.
The album works because Rawlings and his collaborators make their enthusiasm useful to the songs. There is room for serious feeling, instrumental skill and humour without a big change in identity. A little repetition and some overdone decoration remain, but Poor David's Almanack is a warm, engaging roots record with plenty of character.
