Dave Rawlings Machine – “Bells of Harlem”
1. David Rawlings and Gillian Welch make what is generally considered throwback music. From Gillian’s first record Revival, the duo have been making music that doesn’t depend on trends or the passage of time — an Appalachian folk mixture that draws strength from the songs themselves, not from elaborate production or experimental sounds. It has now been six years since their last sighting, and the new record A Friend Of a Friend could not be more welcome. Resurfacing as the Dave Rawlings Machine, Welch and her partner haven’t changed much except lead vocal duties. The music still points back to older forms of music, though on “Bells of Harlem” Rawlings adjusts his lens to harness a string-laden, mid-60’s sound that perfectly complements his and Welch’s high-register harmonies.
2. “Bells of Harlem” opens with lyrics about waking up, and not being able to “sleep for dreaming.” The words match the music’s dreamy waltz, lilting with the grace of “Just Like a Woman” as Rawlings expresses the relief of feeling at home. When Welch joins him with to drawl out “This is the dawn/ the break of day”, the two capture the youthful excitement of a long-anticipated day. Rawlings’ plucky Epiphone Olympic guitar stands out over the strings, as the song is in no rush to move forward. His narrator tells of moving down the street, the “crowd breathing faster” after walking what must have been “a hundred blocks”. He sums up the short memory of a child, realizing that “tears of the past” are no more, caught up in the palpable excitement as he hears the long-awaited bells. The impact of the sound is explained by quoting “Ain’t No More Cane” and declaring that “they couldn’t stop the freedom train”, drawing a historical framework around the events and adding gravity to what was a simple child’s dream.
3. Sonically, this song could easily be a Louis Armstrong tune — the vibraphone and stirring string section give it a lift even as the song fades away into nothing. Rawlings said in press for this record that while Gillian’s voice is more powerful without a lot of instrumentation, he had to find new musical settings when taking over lead vocals. His experimentation is wildly successful, as he reinterprets his own sound into a beautiful, nostalgic blend of country soul. The warm, analog sound of this song is the result of an organic process — no corners were cut in this recording. The unmistakable sound of real strings and voices on two-inch tape wrap this song like a blanket. Rawlings and Welch’s commitment to taking time with their music might make their fans restless in the interim, but “Bells of Harlem” allows listeners to share in the harvest.
Dave Rawlings Machine – Bells of Harlem (live)
Posted: November 2nd, 2009 | 3 Comments »
