AMG Review of To Be Still

Anthony Tognazzini
All Music Guide

Like her debut The Pirate’s Gospel, To Be Still, the follow-up from alternative folk artist Alela Diane, is an intimate, haunting affair that showcases her songwriting and singing skills. Focused chiefly on Diane’s voice and acoustic guitar, To Be Still recalls both the classic female folk singers like Karen Dalton and the spookier, more associative dimensions of contemporary artists like Marissa Nadler and Nina Nastasia. But while her voice lilts and lulls, it’s the poetry of her lyrics and their evocative narratives that make this sophomore effort truly shine.