Time (The Revelator) - Gillian Welch
Metascore
86 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Welch and Rawlings are at the top of their form and continue to make the best Americana recordings without resorting to drenching their albums in guest stars, but by writing and performing heartfelt songs that speak with a clear and undeniable honesty.
  2. 70
    Sometimes beautiful, sometimes disquieting, Time (The Revelator) is something short of revelatory, but it's entrancing nonetheless.
  3. Ironically, while this is Welch's quietest album, with nary a drum or electric instrument in earshot, it's even closer to the spiritual vicinity of rock.
  4. Along with her partner David Rawlings, Welch pulls together quiet unassuming tunes that straddle the line between country and folk and have finally found a home in the public consciousness via the Coen Bros.' O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack.
  5. 100
    Welch and longtime partner David Rawlings weave a spellbinding mix of desperation and salvation across this album's 10 tracks. [#52, p.111]
  6. 100
    This is a profoundly good record. [Nov 2001, p.102]
  7. Time (The Revelator) is ostensibly a solo album, but gives every evidence of being a near-telepathic collaboration between Welch and Rawlings, in which every element is carefully balanced to give the songs maximum impact.
  8. More than simply an expression of her music, Time (The Revelator) is a glimpse into the artist's personality.
  9. It's gloriously dark and downbeat stuff. [Nov 2001, p.130]
  10. Welch has become a notable talent on that long, rootsy highway, and she and Rawlings have fashioned their own unique sound.
  11. 50
    Unlike her major-label LPs, this is a stringently stripped-down, dark-side-of-the-mountain album that's near impossible to cozy up with. [Oct 2001, p.131]
  12. A winsome, beautiful collection of songs... Welch has never seemed more assured, building a creatively expansive work out of modest ingredients.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. NatM
    10
    This album floors me every time i hear it.
  2. BMK
    10
    One of my top ten favourite albums of all time. Simply amazing.
  3. FedericoV
    10
    What a beautiful tune, I love the harmonies and after watching the video with Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings by sheer luck one night on rave, I just would not be able to forget the atmosphere and overall feel. One of these rare songs that capture a certain moment. Full Review »