Hell Among the Yearlings

AMG Review of Hell Among the Yearlings

Thom Owens
All Music Guide

Lacking some of the focus that made her debut album so stunning, Hell Among the Yearlings is nevertheless a thoroughly satisfying second album from Gillian Welch. Instead of backing away from the rustic folkiness of Revival, Welch deepens her bleak, clear-eyed world view, which makes her spare, old-timey arrangements all the more powerful. On occasion, the performances and songs are a bit too studied to be truly effective, but those moments are fleeting -- Hell Among the Yearlings offers ample proof that Welch is a talented, individual songwriter and that her debut was no fluke.