Alela Diane – To Be Still Review
Alela Diane’s To Be Still I’ve heard about for a number of months, the first of which was a 5 out of 5 from Now Magazine (I’d link to them if they had a search function). Followed by some great reviews from Pitchfork and Paste, it was an album I’d like to pick up.
I’ve had trouble with this album admittedly. This was what on my mind the whole time: she’s a great singer. Folk is sometimes a weird genre for me, I probably can’t explain why I like the next thing and not the other. Folk in its essence it’s about emotion and relating to the story. A lot of the time I have trouble with understanding and relating to the music.
So as far as my personal opinion, I hardly love this record. It’s a tough one to absorb and I ultimately give up. There’s no real explanation other then “I just can’t get into it”. Music is sometimes like that…. Objectively though, I can understand why critics have warmed up to the album. Slow and soothing and sets a dreamy environment. It really takes patience and a certain mindset to enjoy this record fully.
With elements of country/folk/Americana she’s definitely does the genre proud. Her writing focusing on imagery, as I feel like I can see the world through her eyes. Still as much as legitimately like the album, I have to leave it out from the top of year pile like some may be reserving it for.
Had a lot of trouble writing this review….
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Dry Grass and Shadows by Alela Diane
White As Diamonds by Alela Diane
Tags: album
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.