Gillian Welch is one of those singers and songwriters who’s soaked up American music — folk, country, old time, and more — so thoroughly over the last 20 years or so that she, and her longtime musical companion David Rawlings, now seem to breathe it out. Welch has written some songs that have that timeless quality of the best folk music. Listen to “Look at Miss Ohio” or “Wrecking Ball” (no, not the Miley Cyrus song) or “Elvis Presley Blues.” Those songs are durable, simple and plain, sad and slow, but deep and mysterious, too.
Welch and Rawlings have an almost spooky thing when they sing together. Their harmonies are tight, but it’s more than just the harmonies; their phrasing is so in sync that it’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re hearing two people or some spectral projection of one performer. Fans of iconic country and bluegrass duos like the Louvin Brothers and the Blue Sky Boys will hear something similar in what Welch and Rawlings do.
Gillian Welch performs at College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven, Friday, June 30, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $45. collegestreetmusichall.com.
