Recently I was at the right place at the right time. I went to a birthday party and the moment I arrived someone decided to play Alela Diane’s The Pirate’s Gospel. I didn’t know who she was but her voice was beautiful and her lyrics idyllic. I was stunned.
Alela Diane Menig taught herself how to play the guitar and started recording some of her songs in her father’s studio. In 2003 she released her first recordings, Forest Parade. She self-released The Pirate’s Gospel in 2004. In 2006, it was officially rereleased as her debut album. In a few years time she became quite popular and well-known. Alela Diane sings dark, ghostly folk. Don’t expect an album that will lift your spirits and make you cheerful.
The album starts off with the beautiful “Tired Feet.” Listening to this song gives an impression of what the rest of the album is like. The second track, “Rifle,” is a hauntingly beautiful song with poetic lyrics. The album’s title track clearly shows how amazing her voice is. The next cut, “Foreign Tongue,” is a sad song but it instantly gave me goosebumps. It’s getting clear that The Pirate’s Gospel consists mostly of tormented songs that bear a dark and medieval atmosphere. “Can You Blame The Sky?” is another wonderful but cheerless song. It reminds me of the mournful songs gospel choirs sing at funerals. “Something’s Gone Awry” is perhaps the only jolly, gleeful song on the entire album. The happiness only lasts one minute, though. “Clickity Clack” is one of the saddest songs on the album; it’s beautiful nevertheless. It’s hard to criticize this album for it consists mostly of amazing and unique songs. The last song, “Oh! My Mama,” has beautiful lyrics, though the meaning is somewhat hard to grasp.
The Pirate’s Gospel is an amazing album that I’d recommend to anybody. Alela Diane’s voice is astonishing and beautiful. Some people might think every song sounds like the previous one, but every track is truly unique. The only thing they all have in common is that they’re all equally brilliant.
