When I heard the first song on Alela Diane’s [featuring Alina Hardin] new EP, I thought I was listening to a modern-day Joan Baez
She taught herself guitar, and began writing songs which blend tense, trance-like arpeggios with warm vocals and meditative lyrics about family and nature. Her first recordings were self-released in 2003 as Forest Parade. Her first solo public appearances were at the invitation of fellow Nevada City native Joanna Newsom. She also did a stint in the Nevada City slow grass band Black Bear before continuing with her solo pursuits.
The first song on the album, Amidst the Movement, contains bright melodic guitars with the smooth vocals of Alela Diane’s and nice back-up vocals. The song makes references to many metaphors and symbols that seem to have deep meaning for Alela. The lyrical beauty provides beautiful and bittersweet imagery, especially the chorus:
And shadows can fade if you cast them away
Tie them to this rusty chain,
Down and down to the rocky bottom
One particularly interesting song on the album is “Matty Groves,” which is a kind of blend between a Good King Wenceslas and retro-folk. The whole album, actually, seems like something that could right out of the sixties. I would highly recommend her to all of you who like lo-fi music.
You will probably like Alela Diane if you also like: Bob Dylan, Emily Jane White, Feist or Mariee Sioux.
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