Alela Diane & Alina Hardin – Alela & Alina
This EP is as simple as it is beautiful. It has been released on limited edition 10″ vinyl by Family, an imprint of Names Records which they are keeping for limited runs of special stuff – like this.
The EP itself is unbelievably spare – guitar and two voices and the songs themselves are two of Alela’s own and three traditional folk songs.
It’s difficult to analyse something like this at all, honestly. It’s exactly what the above description will lead you to expect and you will either like it or not.
Personally, I think Alela Diane has one of the loveliest voices I’ve heard in bloody ages, and from the sounds of this Alina Hardin isn’t far behind. Add to that the fact that Alela has a rolling guitar plucking style which I think is warm and beautiful and you can pretty much guess that I love this, can’t you. It’s possible that you might find it a little bland, because it’s all so bare-bones, which gives all the songs a very similar personality, but that will only be an issue if you are less than captivated by the few elements which make up these arrangements, and the lovely open space given to them. For me personally, this is not a problem, it is one of the nicest aspects of this particular recording.
Incidentally, they also play a version of Matty Groves, a song I know from the brilliant version on Fairport Convention’s classic Liege & Lief and one which have heard rather a lot of versions of recently. I think I’ll make that the focus of a post in the next day or so, because it’s a great song to which I’d like to devote a little more time, but not here.
This really is gorgeous.
Alela Diane & Alina Hardin – Bowling Green
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Alela’s MySpace| Alina’s MySpace | More mp3s | Buy from Names Records
Fairport Convention version of Matty Groves is one of my all time favourite songs….
This sounds like it could be awesome, going to buy it now!
….and oh just to be an arse, is it ok for these 2 to cover Matty Groves?
I think someone might be in love…
Chutters I will admit to being a hypocrit in liking folk music, which is one great long succession of covers, but generally not liking actual covers – ie songs for which there exists a known, original version.
But that’s not a stand of principle. In principle I really like and want to hear cover versions, it’s just in practise that I tend to like very few of them, which is a very different thing and well you know it.
So ‘okay’ doesn’t come into it. Is it okay for me not to enjoy certain songs when I hear them?
of course it is my dear boy, the only caveat i have to add is that it has to tally with my view…..if it doesn’t then it is not ok
Oh yes. That’s the stuff. I’ll be seeing Alela Diane in a few weeks, and this is just the thing to put me in the right frame of mind. Top notch.
yeah! this is great! thanks so much!!! I hope I’ll get some money to buy it before it’s sold out
She is fucking amazing. Her Toad Session was a tad fraught because she was so tired and my review of her last album was a bit nit-picky, but I really do think she is fucking brilliant. And this EP is truly great.
it was more than a bit nit picky!!!
but yeah she is great
I’m obsessed with these ladies at the moment. Was going to post that song too, but the download wasn’t working.
And seriously, what a great collaboration! Especially during these times of so many awful ones popping up.
Yeah collaborations are a bit like covers for me: I get all excited and then am often disappointed with the results. This is great though, and we’re cooking up a fucking corker at Song, by Toad Records as well.
Well then, I’ll keep my eyes and ears peeled…
And yeah, collaborations disappoint me almost more than anything. when I’m expecting great things and it’s the opposite – it makes me think poorly of artists I’ve loved so much (as in, are they really this awful and I’m missing something?) Frustrating, indeed, because really I should find a way for them not to color my feeling about the artists’ main work.
I’ve never heard anything by either of these people until now. Is this the best reference point for Alela Diane?? (I’m guessing it’s not) because this is nothing more than nice.
i like nice
I like nice too. I would listen to this. But it’s not blowing my mind and I wouldn’t buy it. So where can I get the stuff that makes her so special?
i’m buying it just for Matty Groves……
….btw i bought two J Tillman albums……not floating my boat i have to say
that’s a shame. each to their own though. what relevance to this post does that have?
does it have to have a relevance? the thought just came into my head
and i knew you would read it…..
if relevance was important then these comments would have to be all edited
lordy!
well you could have just told me by e-mail or text. that was all.
back to the topic in hand. what of this woman should i listen to?????
Euan, I reckon Pirate’s Gospel is bloody gorgeous – that’s the one I would personally describe as essential.
Matthew. Thank you.