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A must-hear record.

Even from the opening track, the spellbinding quality of Diane’s vocals is evident and the lilting ups and downs of the delivery carry the melody throughout. There is the immediate feeling of comfort and familiarity in the songs but this is more due to the traditional feel and flow as opposed to any direct lift or steal. With musical genres losing their worth and value with each passing day and marketing decision, the focus on ‘To Be Still’ should focus on the strong consistency of performance and song writing as opposed to any pigeonholing of the sound.

The expected flow of the melody and strength of backing vocals is often counterbalanced by an unpredictable rhythm section that at times, jerks off course and causes the listener to re-focus on the song. This helps to keep attention on the song which is where many traditional or folk based albums fall down. Although capturing a style or sound well is a talent, it can become easy to go too far and eventually create a record that will wash over the listener. This occurs when the songs become predictable but ‘To Be Still’ manages to avoid this by having an unexpected element in all the tracks. Whether it’s the low keening of stringed instruments or the male vocals of on ‘Age Old Blue’, there is no comfort zone to settle into and the album is all the better for it.

At times you would like there to be a bit more focus on the instrumental element of the songs as the backing tracks are quite beautiful in places, all simple and traditional but of interest at all times. This means that the vocals are sometimes fighting for attention and there are a lot of lyrics to take in. On initial listens, the storytelling is merely a vessel for the delivery of Diane but over time, the tales of love and life and changes over time, notably on ‘The Alder Trees’ comes to the fore. It’s quite a complete album with something for everyone, regardless of what you look for in a song or record. With the backing tracks taking lines from Nick Drake to even the folkier styles of Led Zeppelin and the vocals drawing comparisons with all the best left-field vocalists of the past few decades, Alela Diane has managed to sculpt a record that tips its hat to many styles but has managed to sound extremely individual.

It just goes to show that no matter how much we are led to believe that music is becoming predictable and less exciting as the bland takes over the world, there are still a treasure trove of gems to be found. ‘To Be Still’ by Alela Diane may pass the majority of record buyers without a murmur but its going to make a massive impact on the lives of a select few.