Dave Rawlings Machine
A Friend Of A Friend
Acony Records

David Rawlings is best known for accompanying Gillian Welch, but here he steps out on his won, even if she's still around to lend support. His voice has an attractive Neil Young-ish quality to it that lends itself well to these songs. Opener "Ruby" magically transports us back to the seventies, as it has its heart in that era. The tune is unforgettable. "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" was written with Ryan Adams for his solo debut, and here it gets a rootsy makeover that works well. Rawlings really has a knack for these things.

"Method Acting/Cortez the Killer" weds a Conor Oberst track to the Neil Young classic with seamless results. It's the sort of a thing that proves his instrumental as well as his vocal prowess. "It's Too Easy" is a Rawlings/Welch co write and and it's just great. It's up-tempo and lets Rawlings sing well with able support from Welch. It's clear he belongs in the spotlight.

Copyright © 2010 Anna Maria Stjärnell