From the Northwest, I bring Alela Diane who channels the 1960s Joan Baez and today's Joanna Newsom in her voice, which in my book is two thumbs up. The Pirate's Gospel caught my eye one day and while expecting jaunty tunes (with an album title like that, how could you not?), I was surprised to find a songbird with only a guitar backing her voice. To Be Still was released this year on Rough Trade so it fortunately received the production quality Pirates deserved. Pirates holds a DIY status in my heart but with tracks like "Age Old Blue" and the opener "Dry Grass & Shadows," I'm glad To Be Still did not play like unpolished demos. With lap steels, strings, and drums to occasionally back Diane's warm voice and guitar, she elevates above a street busker as these instrument add a sharp emphasis on her voice. The clang of a cymbal reinforces her regret. The vibrato of the steel strings lulls us into her lyrical tales of wandering love, her childhood, and family. The cello's bow sweeps one back and forth on "White as Diamonds" as she croons how "our lives are buried in snow." It's an album to play on a cloudy Sunday afternoon as you curl up with a book.
So if you enjoy the folk scene or slightly intrigued by what it has to offer, Alela Diane is a good start. Then you can work your way backwards to Guthrie, Seeger, Dylan, and Baez. Best track is "Age Old Blue." Start there if anything.
P.S. Off to see Conor and the gang tonight. If you don't hear from me, I've strapped myself to the bottom of their tour van and have talked my way into their hearts to be their merch girl. But really, photos/reviews/lavish praise of the show on Monday.
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