''Soul Journey'' is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter

Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, coun ...

. It was released on June 9, 2003 by

Acony Records Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, count ...

. As with all of her previous releases, it is a collaboration with

David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 30, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his musical partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Or ...

Background

The album was something of a departure from previous albums by Welch and Rawlings in terms of instrumentation, including a larger band and instruments like drums and an electric bass. Welch has described the album as "more spontaneous" than some of her previous works.

Reception

''Soul Journey'' received generally favorable reviews. Several outlets, including

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called it "perfect", with reviewers praising the wistful tone and instrumentation of the album.

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

said of her work " elchstrips country back to its spiritual and storytelling roots... Welch has refined her bare and beautiful songs and on Soul Journey embraces the blues. Loss and loneliness are her closest friends" Upon the vinyl re-release in 2018

Relix ''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concer ...

said the album contained "some of their most indelible songs... ''Soul Journey'' makes it equally hard to tell where the past ended and the present began, or remember why anybody ever thought there was a difference." However, some have expressed disappointment in the album. ''

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'' described it as "a tad raptureless" and others were displeased with the fuller, multi-instrument sound. Welch has said in response that "on some level, it should be a departure from other albums... Everything's not supposed to sound the same, you want it to reflect change and growth."

Track listing

Personnel

* Mark Ambrose – acoustic guitar * Matt Andrews – bass guitar (on "Lowlands") * Jim Boquist – bass guitar *

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage ba ...

–

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* Ketcham Secor – fiddle *

– "everything else" *

– "everything else"

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2003 albums Albums produced by David Rawlings Gillian Welch albums