Gillian Welch

It’s hard to believe that eight years had passed since Gillian Welch last put out an album, though, as an alt-country icon, she’s always been around, even hooking up with The Decemberists earlier on 2011’s The King Is Dead. More surprising is that she waited that long to follow up Soul Journey, a jammy record that showcased an expanding musical palette and left purists in a fuss. Artists who have nothing left to prove have the luxury of recording what they feel like and when they feel like it, which may explain why Welch’s latest, The Harrow & The Harvest, is easily her most relaxed, laid-back album yet. For Welch, it’s a return to devoutly traditional folk music, performed with a loose, natural confidence throughout.

Updated 05/25/2012