A Friend of A Friend is the debut record from the Dave Rawlings Machine, but in reality it is the re-emergence of the Gillian Welch-Dave Rawlings brand. They’ve hardly been in hiding, contributing to records by Solomon Burke, Sara Watkins, Uncle Earl, Conor Oberst, and numerous others, but their last full length effort was all the way back in 2003 with Welch’s Soul Journey. They’ve been performing live with numerous mini-tours, the Big Surprise Tour, and jamming with the likes of Bright Eyes, Neil Young, and Levon Helm. But, the diehard fans among us were beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms from the lack of new recorded material.
So we can all breathe a sigh of relief with the release of A Friend of A Friend. It’s credited as a Dave Rawlings Machine record, but Gillian co-wrote half the tracks and appears on 8 of the 9. The Machine got its start as a way for the duo to play some club dates a little under the radar and test out new material. The shows were not that much different from the Gillian Welch shows, simply reversing the usual vocal order and giving longtime sideman Dave Rawlings a chance to take over lead vocals with Welch offering up gorgeous harmonies. The set lists ranged from Gillian Welch songs to numerous covers (Dylan, Young, TVZ) to other Dave Rawlings co-writes (Ryan Adams, Old Crow Medicine Show). The duo seemed to be enjoying these looser, more free form shows, so it’s not that surprising that they decided to record under the moniker.
The record itself is both different and exactly what you would expect. The trademark Gillian Welch-Dave Rawlings guitar interlock and merging vocals are there, but Rawlings has also invited some other friends into the mix including compatriots from Old Crow Medicine Show along with Benmont Tench (the Heartbreakers), Karl Himmel (Neil Young), and Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes). These collaborations shine through on Rawlings on his co-write with Ryan Adams “To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to be High)†and the Jesse Fuller cover “Monkey and the Engineer”. The opposite tack is taken with the Old Crow Medicine Show classic and Rawlings co-write “I Hear Them All,†which is stripped down from the OCMS’s already somber version. Rawlings sings as if a young Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie– with stark conviction. The closing track “Bells of Harlemâ€, on the other hand, features a gorgeous string section arranged by the legendary Jimmie Haskell. The song evokes the unrestrained beauty of soul classics like Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World†and Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Comeâ€.
Though the collaborations are strong, my favorite tracks are the new Welch-Rawlings compositions. Opening track “Ruby†is a great song that showcases the duo’s ability to write new songs that sound like 1930’s field recordings. “How’s About You†finds them in an almost topical mood as they address the current economic times. “Sweet Tooth†and “It’s Too Easy†have been recent live staples at both Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings Machine shows. The former is an ebullient duet that is a joy to watch them perform and has translated well onto record. The latter is sped up a little here, but sounds like a great lost track from the Time (the Revelator) recordings. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear this song on the next (soon?) Gillian Welch record as well.
In summation, this is one of my favorite records of the year. My only complaint is that I could use a couple more new songs. The record clocks in at about 40 minutes with 10 songs (9 tracks), including two previously released co-writes and three covers. Everything that’s here is great and the record is a great single sitting listen, but I’m greedy.
About the author: Specializes in Dead, Drunk, and Nakedness..... Former College Radio DJ and Current Craft Beer Nerd