Alela Diane and Wild Divine

it's been nearly two years since we last heard from alela diane, who released her sophomore effort, 'to be still', in february 2009. but she's been busy since then touring and working on her third record, 'alela diane and wild divine', which she wrote while on the road in '09 and then completed last year with producer / engineer scott litt in venice, calif. alela diane is one of the best folk songwriters of her generation, able to tap into a rich world of organic, natural imagery with her words. inspired by the environment of her homes in nevada city, ca and portland, or, her music will perfectly convey the intimacy of northwest winters. her voice has been described as hauntingly beautiful, and she brings a quiet intimacy to all her songs. her music is reminiscent of kate wolf, karen dalton and other great female folk singers of the 70s, but with an undeniably fresh spin. she skips easily from dark tales to classic folk songs and back again. her melodies get stuck in your head for days; she's the sort of artist that you sing along with, pretending that your own voice is just as clear and lovely. on rough trade.