
Released in January, US folk/country singer Alela Diane’s beautiful second album To Be Still has been swiftly followed by this EP (or ‘companion album’) featuring Alina Hardin. Alela’s voice is astonishing, and is perfectly complemented by Alina’s, and by the simple accompaniment. Three songs are covers, including ‘Matty Groves’, a ballad perhaps most famously covered by Fairport Convention on Liege and Lief. To say Alela and Alina more than do justice to a song that most people will know from that version, sung by the great Sandy Denny, should give some idea of how good this record is.
I want to plug To Be Still too, as well as mentioning the covers album Ms Diane recorded with Joey Waronker, Gus Seyffert, Leo Abrahams and Woody Jackson as Headless Heroes. The Silence of Love includes covers of more contemporary songs. I present their cover of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Just Like Honey’, which seems to suit a country feel – though this video was clearly done by GREAT BIG SOPPY HIPPIES – and for my co-blogger there’s also a version of Cave’s ‘Nobody’s Baby Now’.
Alela Diane featuring Alina Hardin – ‘Bowling Green‘ - Alela and Alina
Headless Heroes – ‘Nobody’s Baby Now‘ – The Silence of Love
Headless Heroes – ‘Just Like Honey’ – The Silence of Love
Buy the EP from Amazon or iTunes or there’s a limited 10″ version that might be available through Rough Trade.
JKneale
Micah P. Hinson, everyone’s favourite Texan and honorary native of Burnley, returns with a double album of covers. When I saw this I thought a) Micah had put something out fairly quickly so that he could tour and b) he might have over-reached himself. He does have a fantastic voice and a classy sense of how to arrange and perform, but could he cover such karaoke classics as ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’ and (gulp) ‘My Way’? What about ‘Suzanne’? And could anyone do justice to ‘Running Scared’?













