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. ~ Thom Owens