If you were anywhere near a record shop or a music blog in 2009, you probably remember that weird, beautiful "freak-folk" explosion. Everyone was talking about Joanna Newsom’s harps or Fleet Foxes' harmonies. But tucked away in a small cabin in Nevada City, California, Alela Diane was busy perfecting something much more grounded. She was making Alela Diane To Be Still музыка—a record that felt less like a trendy indie project and more like a collection of songs that had existed since the dawn of time.
Honestly, it's rare for a sophomore album to feel this settled. Usually, artists are panicking about the "slump" or trying to sound more commercial. Not Alela. She just went deeper into the woods.
The Shift From Bedroom Demos to Full-Band Folk
Most of us first heard Alela Diane through The Pirate’s Gospel. That album was basically a collection of rough, lace-wrapped demos recorded with her dad, Tom Menig. It was great, don't get me wrong. It had this spooky, unfinished quality that made you feel like you were eavesdropping on a private ritual. But Alela Diane To Be Still музыка was a quantum leap.
Suddenly, there were drums. There were cellos. There was even a pedal steel guitar played by Pete Grant, the guy who actually taught Jerry Garcia how to play. You can hear that "mountain" influence everywhere. While the first record was a skeleton, To Be Still is the full body. The production is richer, but it never feels "slick." It still sounds like it was recorded in a room with wood-paneled walls and a drafty window.
That’s because it mostly was. She recorded a lot of it in her father’s home studio. There’s a specific kind of warmth you get when a parent and child make music together—a lack of ego that’s impossible to fake in a professional studio in LA or Nashville.
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Why "White as Diamonds" and "Take Us Back" Still Haunt Us
You can’t talk about this album without mentioning the heavy hitters. "White as Diamonds" is arguably the centerpiece. It opens with this yodel-inflected vocal that sounds like it’s bouncing off the walls of a canyon. It’s haunting. It’s about snow and stillness and the kind of quiet that actually feels heavy.
Then there’s "Take Us Back."
- It starts with a simple, driving acoustic riff.
- The lyrics talk about mountain paths and snowmelt.
- It has this relentless, circular energy.
Interestingly, a lot of people actually discovered this song through the ending of Telltale’s The Walking Dead game years later. It’s funny how music finds its way into different corners of pop culture. For gamers, it’s a song about survival and loss. For folk fans, it’s the ultimate Pacific Northwest anthem. Both are right.
The Tracklist That Defined an Era
The flow of the album is pretty much perfect. It doesn't jump around. It starts with the woozy slide guitar of "Dry Grass & Shadows" and ends with the quiet, reflective "Lady Divine."
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- Dry Grass & Shadows – Sets the tone with mallet drums and a dusty feel.
- White as Diamonds – The big, soaring vocal moment.
- To Be Still – The title track. It’s a literal instruction to the listener. Stop moving. Listen.
- The Ocean – Darker, more rhythmic. It brings in a bit of that "Incredible String Band" vibe.
- Tatted Lace – A nod back to her debut but with way more complex fingerpicking.
The Nevada City Connection
There’s something in the water in Nevada City. It’s a tiny town, but it produced Alela, Joanna Newsom, and Mariee Sioux. You can hear the geography in Alela Diane To Be Still музыка. The lyrics aren't about city lights or breakups in bars; they are about alder trees, brambles, and "tiny green helicopter seeds" blowing in the wind.
It’s pastoral music in the truest sense. But it isn't "happy" music. It’s lonely. It’s the sound of someone who loves the wilderness but also feels the weight of the history buried in that dirt. Think of it as "Appalachian noir" relocated to the West Coast.
The "To Be Still" Philosophy
The title isn't just a name; it’s a mantra. In an interview around the release, Alela mentioned she wrote a lot of these songs while living in a small cabin. She was settled. She was content, or at least trying to be.
But the music has this underlying tension. It’s that feeling of being in a beautiful place but knowing that seasons change and things die. "I won't strike my feet in whatever dirt you’re tracking," she sings on the title track. It’s a song about boundaries. It’s about staying put when everyone else is running.
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How to Experience This Music Today
If you’re just discovering her now, don't just shuffle it on Spotify while you're doing dishes. It won't work. This is "sit on the porch with a coffee" music.
- Listen to the vinyl if you can. The warmth of the analog recording really brings out the cello and the pedal steel.
- Watch the live performances. There’s an old "Take Away Show" by La Blogothèque where she plays in a flat in Paris. It’s just her and her guitar, and it proves that the songs don't need the bells and whistles to be powerful.
- Check out the "About Farewell" era afterward. If To Be Still is the sound of being settled, About Farewell (2013) is the sound of everything breaking apart. It makes for a fascinating, if heartbreaking, comparison.
Real Talk: Is It Still Relevant?
Kinda, yeah. More than ever, actually. We live in a world that’s loud and fast and frankly, pretty exhausting. Alela Diane To Be Still музыка offers an exit ramp. It doesn't demand your attention with loud hooks or synth-pop beats. It just waits for you to get quiet enough to hear it.
It’s authentic. She isn't pretending to be a 1930s dust bowl singer; she’s just a woman from Northern California who grew up listening to her parents play bluegrass and let that seep into her soul. That honesty is why the album hasn't aged a day since 2009.
Actionable Listening Guide
To get the most out of this record, try this specific sequence tonight:
- Find a pair of decent headphones.
- Start with "The Alder Trees." Listen for the handclaps about two minutes in—it’s the only "modern" sounding moment on the record.
- Follow it with "Every Path." It features Michael Hurley on harmony, and it’s arguably the most "authentic" folk moment she’s ever recorded.
- Read the lyrics to "My Brambles" while you listen. It’s essentially a short story set to music.
There is no "hidden meaning" to find. There are no puzzles. There’s just the wind, the trees, and a voice that sounds like it's been singing these songs for a hundred years.