Customer Reviews

The Pirate's Gospel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Alela Diane Menig, whose father Tom produces and also appears on this album, hails from Nevada City, and only started to write and play in 2003. `The Pirate's Gospel' was originally recorded in her father's home studio and self released in 2004. Apparently she came to the attention fellow Nevada City native Joanna Newsom, who arranged her first live show. The album got a bit of a polish and an `official' release in 2006.

I've seen this artist compared to Gillian Welch, Jolie Holland, and Josephine Foster. I am most strongly reminded of The Be Good Tanyas and would add them to the list. Which isn't to say she sounds, that much, like any of the former, but that like those other performers, she seems to have reached far into the past for her musical inspiration, before giving it a twist of her own. In the process she has created a sound that, while rooted firmly in earlier times, is fresh, vibrant and ultimately timeless.

I guess this is a folk album(that's how most reviewers have categorised it)but all the songs are self-penned, and musically, it has a blend of styles that would place it outside of any specific folk tradition. As well as folk I hear a touch of blues, gospel and with all the piratical references, there is a nautical flavour too. Forget all that though, because the thing that makes this album so good is the quality of the songs.

The album opens strongly with `Tired Feet' a deceptively simple tune that you may find lodged in your head for days, thereafter the record never flags, sure some of the songs are stronger than others(the title track, `Clickity Clack' and `Oh My Mama' are just three of my favourites)but all the songs hang together to create a perfectly gorgeous album. Considering this was essentially a `home recording' you would never know it, as all the performances are of the highest standard. I realise I haven't mentioned her richly soulful voice, which matches the quality of the material beautifully.

Incidentally there are three(!)different versions of this CD around at the moment.The American release with the(pirate?)ship on the cover which, perhaps, has the nicest packaging(gatefold cardboard sleeve and better photo on the insert)but only has 11 tracks. The UK edition(rather unflattering portrait of Alela on the cover)has the original 11 track album and 2 bonus tracks `Heavy Walls' and `Gypsy Eyes' which are well worth having(strangely though they are not listed on the Amazon product page or anywhere on the CD case). Finally there is an Australian import available(in both ship and portrait!)which also has 2 bonus tracks (but `Pink Roses' Substitutes for `Gypsy Eyes')the same gatefold sleeve as the American release(but with a slightly different insert)and features an `enhanced' section containing a video for `Pieces Of String'. How do I know? Yes I did buy all three(starting with the US version)so I could get all the tracks. Trust me she is THAT good.

There seems to be a lot of solo-female artists around at the moment but don't let this one get lost in the crowd. Alela Diane is a fabulous talent. Don't miss out.

The moment I heard Alela Diane's voice I was hooked... obsessed is more like it! She is a wonderous storyteller with her voice, tambre, and words. Campfire gospel folk is perfect to describe this CD. She is a gifted, self taught artist who's career has only begun. Highly recommend anyone who is looking to relax, imagine and try something new.

Alela Diane(Menig)hails from Nevada City and only started to write and play in 2003. `The Pirate's Gospel' was originally recorded in her father's home studio(Tom Menig produces and appears on the album)and self released in 2004. Apparently she came to the attention fellow Nevada City native Joanna Newsom, who arranged her first live show. The album got a bit of a polish and an `official' release in 2006.

I've seen this artist compared to Gillian Welch, Jolie Holland, and Josephine Foster. I'm most strongly reminded of The Be Good Tanyas and would add them to the list. Which isn't to say she sounds, that much, like any of the former, but that, in common with those performers, she seems to have reached far into the past for her inspiration before adding a twist of her own. In the process she has created music that, while rooted firmly in earlier times, is fresh, vibrant and ultimately timeless.

I guess this is a folk album(that's how most reviewers have categorised it)but all the songs are self-penned, and musically, it has a blend of styles that would place it outside of any specific folk tradition. As well as folk I hear a touch of blues, gospel and with all the piratical references there is a nautical flavour too. Forget all that though, because the thing that makes this album so good is the quality of the songs.

The album opens strongly with `Tired Feet' a deceptively simple song that you may find lodged in your head for days, thereafter the record never flags, sure some of the songs are stronger than others(the title track, `Clickity Clack' and `Oh My Mama' are just three of my favourites)but all the songs hang together to create a perfectly gorgeous album. Considering this was essentially a `home recording' you would never know it, as all the performances are of the highest standard. I haven't mentioned her wonderful voice which matches the quality of the material beautifully.

Incidentally there are three(!)different versions of this CD around at the moment. This uk edition(featuring a not particularly flattering photo of Alela)has the original 11 track album and 2 bonus tracks `Heavy Walls' and `Gypsy Eyes' which are well worth having(strangely though they are not listed anywhere on the CD case). The U.S. edition(with a painted sail ship on the cover)which, perhaps has the nicest packaging(gatefold cardboard sleeve and better photo on the insert)but only has the 11 tracks. Finally there is an Australian import(same cover as U.S. edition but different insert)available which has 2 bonus tracks (but `Pink Roses' Substitutes for `Gypsy Eyes')and features an `enhanced' section containing a video for `Pieces Of String'.

There seems to be a lot of solo-female artists around at the moment but don't let this one get lost in the crowd. Alela Diane is a fabulous talent. Don't miss out.

Alela Diane Menig, whose father Tom produces and also appears on this album, hails from Nevada City, and only started to write and play in 2003. `The Pirate's Gospel' was originally recorded in her father's home studio and self released in 2004. Apparently she came to the attention fellow Nevada City native Joanna Newsom, who arranged her first live show. The album got a bit of a polish and an `official' release in 2006.

I've seen this artist compared to Gillian Welch, Jolie Holland, and Josephine Foster. I am most strongly reminded of The Be Good Tanyas and would add them to the list. Which isn't to say she sounds, that much, like any of the former, but that like those other performers, she seems to have reached far into the past for her musical inspiration, before giving it a twist of her own. In the process she has created a sound that, while rooted firmly in earlier times, is fresh, vibrant and ultimately timeless.

I guess this is a folk album(that's how most reviewers have categorised it)but all the songs are self-penned, and musically, it has a blend of styles that would place it outside of any specific folk tradition. As well as folk I hear a touch of blues, gospel and with all the piratical references, there is a nautical flavour too. Forget all that though, because the thing that makes this album so good is the quality of the songs.

The album opens strongly with `Tired Feet' a deceptively simple tune that you may find lodged in your head for days, thereafter the record never flags, sure some of the songs are stronger than others(the title track, `Clickity Clack' and `Oh My Mama' are just three of my favourites)but all the songs hang together to create a perfectly gorgeous album. Considering this was essentially a `home recording' you would never know it, as all the performances are of the highest standard. I realise I haven't mentioned her richly soulful voice, which matches the quality of the material beautifully.

Incidentally there are three(!)different versions of this CD around at the moment.The standard American release has, perhaps, the nicest packaging(gatefold cardboard sleeve and better photo on the insert)but only the standard 11 tracks. The UK edition has the original 11 track album and 2 bonus tracks `Heavy Walls' and `Gypsy Eyes' which are well worth having(strangely though they are not listed anywhere on the CD case). Finally there is this Australian import available which has 2 bonus tracks (but `Pink Roses' Substitutes for `Gypsy Eyes')and features an `enhanced' section containing a video for `Pieces Of String'.

There seems to be a lot of solo-female artists around at the moment but don't let this one get lost in the crowd. Alela Diane is a fabulous talent. Don't miss out.

This album is incredible. Something about it is so haunting, yet so familiar and comforting at the same time. "Pirate's Gospel" (the song itself) has become one of my favorite songs of all time. "Pieces of String" makes my heart melt, I love the children singing. "Oh! My Mama" is so sweet. Alela Diane's songs remind me of the fall season, childhood, running through the woods, familiar voices, comforting blankets....

"The Pirate's Gospel" has an unusual history. It was written by Diane on a trip to Europe in 2003, and recorded in her fathers' home studio in 2004. Its subsequent release was on CD-R back in 2004, until word of mouth and good indie press meant that it would eventually get a (slightly) wider release in 2006 through Holocene Music. Despite its near-reverence in indie-folk circles, it is a work of art that still remains virtually unknown and you would be hard-pressed to find many independent music listeners even passingly familiar with the back-catalog of Ms. Diane.

A pity to be sure, as "The Pirate's Gospel" sets the blueprint for what would be Alela's true masterpiece (her subsequent album "To Be Still"), and in many ways it can be considered a stripped down, acoustic template that served as a primer for "To be Still". It's a very woodsy album, low on even instrumentation, letting Alela's vocals take centerstage (as they should), with quaint lyrics that sound positively Victorian when compared to the work her peers are writing these days. There are medieval influences here, and her story-telling inclinations are well served, and even well-placed given the context. These songs literally breathe on the record, each one of them given the space and freedom to take their time. Its an easy album to get lost in, and one that draws the listener back for multiple listens. Despite being a wholly acoustic album, there are tons of little details that only reveal themselves upon repeated listens - such as the harmonized humming on "Can You Blame the Sky?", or the playful whistle at the start of "Somethings gone Awry".

At times, Diane's songwriting reminds me of Joanna Newsom. This became more apparent on her next album, but here its very close to the forest-spirit persona that Newsom perfected on her own initial EPs (there is an undeniable Newsom-Diane connection if you so choose to research it, as well). But while the writing is uniformly excellent, it's the melodies given to them that truly allow them to come into their own. Consider the simplistic yearning of "Pieces of String", a feathery track that makes itself absolutely vital due to its little touches; its unique harmonizing, and the sudden burst of childrens voices on the lines of the chorus.

True aficionados of Diane's catalog will (or perhaps not) agree that her best work came in the form of "White as Diamonds" and "The Alder Trees" from "To Be Still". The latter track especially has proved itself to be formidably timeless, and has had the good fortune of being responsible for some of Ms Diane's incredible indie success in France (both this and her next album are huge smoky folk-bar hits). It's a lush, tender record that gives Alela Diane's breathtaking voice the respect it deserves; and while it is by no means a `modern' sounding record, its vintage tweaks and production will certainly reel in lovers of music with a gothic, otherworldly touch to them.

In many ways, I would compare this to some of the earliest work of both Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart. While Banhart has lost some of his edge since his major label record contract, Newsom hasn't, and if you liked "Walnut Whales", then by all means go for "The Pirates Gospel". It has the potential to become a staple in your household, especially if quality, underrated female singer-songwriters is your forte.

File alongside Meg Baird, Vashti Bunyan, Joanna Newsom, Ex Reverie, Alina Hardin, Isobel Campbell.

Five Stars. An indispensable addition to your music collection.

This is an amazing CD, If you appreciate any music from bluegrass to alt country, to folk this is well worth the cost. Truly this is now one of my favorites.

I won't elaborate more on the previous review since it is spot on. This is simply another hidden gem for those who are not constrained by genre and packaged commercial nonsense that we see at coffee shops and hear on most radio stations. You won't hear this one on any radio station in SoCal which is par for the course. It was sent to me from Holland as a gift and it is all that. Is it a Folk album? Maybe, but it's got that Yo Ho Yo Ho Pirate's Gospel Song on it. Outstanding. I like everything about this album, I hope she keeps writing and I can see her perform someday. This CD is simply a pleasure to listen to. Cheers

i just melted...
her voice brought me to another place.
but it felt like home.

we are glad she now lives in portland

Should've opened for her when I had the chance! Does anyone know how much a private run copy of Pirate's Gospel would fetch? The one's she handmade herself? I have a copy that I am willing to part with if the price is right.