Album Review: Time (The Revelator)

Time (The Revelator) was my first foray in Gillian Welch's work, it won't be my last. It's empty, it's desolate but it also happens to be one of the most touching albums of the last few years.

From the fragile opener Revelator ("I'm the pretender and not what I'm supposed to be / but who could know if I'm a traitor?") to the closing opus I Dream A Highway, I was enraptured with Welch's voice. Revelator is a gorgeous piece of music, but I Dream A Highway is simply one of the finest songs ever written. It's fifteen minutes worth of majesty, and possibly the finest closing track ever put to record.

In between the album's two highpoints the music is still of obscenely high quality. I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll marks a slight departure from the rest of the album, it borders on upbeat. It's an amazing song.

It won't appeal to everybody, which is a crying shame. Many will dismiss it as dreary or dull; neither could be further from the truth. A must buy for any fans of good, heartfelt music.