Single Song Sunday: Orphan Girl
(Gillian Welch covers from Emmylou to Alathea)
It’s been almost two years since we first featured the songs of Gillian Welch here on Cover Lay Down, though we’ve certainly had reason to revisit her works now and again as the coverage continues. As we noted way back when, Welch’s talent is a revelation, both in performance and as a lyrical interpreter of the rural backporch mindset of the American South, and the dustbowl longing and religious overtones so often found in the works of this modern American Primitive are here in spades.
There are several well-known folkcovers of this tune, including Emmylou Harris‘ classic Wrecking Ball take and, more recently, Crooked Still’s upbeat cello-driven folkgrass version, both of which we’ve posted previously. But Orphan Girl has been well covered in its time; as I suggested two winters ago, “the infinite possibility of nuance and power keeps this oft-covered, well-worn tune fresh, despite its weary lyric.”
Two new discoveries, vastly different but equally precious, lead the pack today: a slow, rich, stunningly complex, atmospherically orchestrated cover from indiefolk darlings Horse Feathers, just released on B-side and still available free as of press time over at Amie Street, and an anthemic radio-ready folkpop take from Alathea, sure to please fans of Dar Williams and The Greencards.
Elsewhere, bluegrass singer-songwriter siblings Tim and Mollie O’Brien bring a gentle, summery warmth to their interpretation. Dakota Blonde lend a fluid, mournful tone to bare-bones folk-americana production. And though I don’t usually go for Christian Contemporary, Irish whistler Bob Pegritz and friends feature a hauntingly pure, crisply performed Celtic version on their spiritual album Whistleworks II: Be Thou My Vision well worth the price.
Live covers worth sharing include a pair of raw, unmixed small-room covers from Gary Entsminger/Susan Elliott project Gooseberry Summer, both slow and fast, with lo-fi success in each. And Over The Rhine’s live take, available on Live From Nowhere, Vol. 2, is typically uplifting, floating sweet vocals over barrelhouse piano chords, ringing guitar, and banjo plucks to make a wash of sound that embraces the longing inherent in the lyrics.
Taken together, the diverse set proves an exercise in song-stretching, a paean to the flexibility of folksong and the raw relevance of the songwriter, who will next appear as silent partner on the highly anticipated Dave Rawlings Machine release A Friend of a Friend, due November 17th. Enjoy.
- Gooseberry Summer: Orphan Girl [fast]
- Gooseberry Summer: Orphan Girl [slow]
As always, our Single Song Sunday posts places all purchase links in the paragraphs above; if you like what you hear, please consider lending your support to both Gillian Welch and those who cover her so well.
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Category: Gillian Welch, Single Song Sunday
February 10th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
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