Alela Diane & Wild Divine - Alela Diane

Track list:

1. To Begin
2. Elijah
3. Long Way Down
4. Suzanne
5. The Wind
6. Of Many Colors
7. Desire
8. Heartless Highway
9. White Horse
10. Rising Greatness

Running time: 38 minutes
Released: 2011

So we break with the Wedding Present for an unexpected interlude. Not a long time without a post (though that too), but three discs that I have picked up over the last couple of weeks.

The first of these comes from Alela Diane, who I was aware of but never actually explored before picking up Cusp when it released. Once I got that into the car for a few listens to and from work, I found a charming little album that immediately made me want to explore more. This dropped through my door a couple of days ago and I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet.

It starts with a bolder musical line than I was perhaps expecting, but it is a nice warm one, and supplemented very nicely by our singer's voice, which has an enveloping, drawing quality to it. Obviously this is a younger performer than the Alela Diane of Cusp, since the record predates it by 7 years, but that fact is also evidenced in the contrasting performances. Here there is a strut of youth rather than the reflection of one's 30s. I ordered this, To Be Still and The Pirate's Gospel at the same time; the other two arrived first and gave contrasting impressions. Wild Divine is on the better side of those two, more in common with To Be Still. 

On the evidence of the first two tracks I think this might become my favourite of the works I have picked up. I like the bolder, bigger sound and the easy flow. Whilst I was smitten with Cusp - which compared favourably with a couple of other 2018 albums I picked up around the same time, a result I think of no real expectations, as I found my hopes dashed a little by Ruins and I'll Be Your Girl by First Aid Kit and The Decemberists respectively - its appeal isn't visceral, but considered. The early tracks of Alela Diane & Wild Divine on the other hand just feel right from the off. The arrangements are nice and full, with enough of a big-sky America feel to them to trip that switch; Diane's voice is generally louder, bolder, here but in concert with the tunes behind her. Her tones have a warm sound that I find really engaging and were one of the primary drivers for me picking up all these other albums on top of that first introduction. 

To be honest, I think there are parts of Diane's songs which could be better; I am far from convinced by her as a lyricist as I find she relies too much on repetition. As I typed that I was thinking that trait was less evident on this disc than the others, but then it appears in The Wind... not in an offensive way, but in an apt one from a timing perspective.

Oh wow, I love the opening of Of Many Colors. The simple rhythm is nice but the strings of the guitars have such a nice roll to them... very American, but it feels small town, slow pace of life, rootsy. It's a sound that appeals... the myth of inland America as a storied place different from (what I imagine is) the reality of life in those parts. The mythic America is a place to visit in the imagination, full of wondrous places and tales aplenty; the real small town America appeals to me not at all.

This album is good at feeding that imagination.

I suspect I am missing finer details, because the general themes and tones are so strong and evocative I can't help but let my mind wander with those, drifting away from the specifics of the individual songs. And just like that I am almost through. The penultimate track just began, this a punchier twang to begin with, but then growing in refinement as the track builds. It then hops around between tones a bit, giving a bit of a strange overall impression. None of those tones are bad, but they don't necessarily feel as though they hang together perfectly. 

The strongest theme running through these tracks is the warmth of both the guitars and the vocal, it feels right for an evening. It has the country-ish edge to it that keeps it honest, but which also offers favourable comparisons with similar artists; whilst not American First Aid Kit at their best are a strong point of comparison, and I think Alela Diane comes off favourably in that. This album made for a good evening; I could quite happily repeat it... in fact I think I shall.