Robert Santelli

Welch ... documents the King's reckless abandon on "Elvis Presley Blues," proving that even a country balladeer can fantasize about running wild.

Throughout, Welch sings with a world-weary resignation. Hell Among the Yearlings' bare-bones instrumentation – a guitar here, a banjo there – settles softly on each track's surface, enabling her detached, narcotic voice to hover over the melodies. File next to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.

With the release of Damn Right, I've Got the Blues, Guy's first studio album in a decade, and the re-release of Alone and Acoustic (original title: Going Back), a rare recording done in France in 1981 with harp player Junior Wells, Guy's presence is once again being felt in the blues.