Anyone familiar with Guy Garvey's radio show will know that Alela Diane is currently sitting pretty as Garvey's artist du jour. She's a regular on the playlist, and often on the other end of the phone for a guest appearance and to soak up the compliments.But just in case Guy Garvey's stamp of approval isn't enough to shift the units, To Be Still has got the goods that should see it flying of the shelves. Or at least making it into the odd Amazon basket.This album is like a collection of short stories in song form, some personal, some in the third person. Each track has its own narrative, to make up a bigger picture of either Alela Diane's life, or something pretty close to it. Mainly accompanied by an acoustic guitar, it's the highly crafted song writing in which the talent lies in. There's a mix of traditional folk melodies ('The Alder Trees', 'Take Us Back') with more percussive numbers ('Dry Grass and Shadows') and modern tales of the self ('My Brambles').Alela Diane's vocals are a melting pot of female singer songwriters past and present, from Joni Mitchell to Jenny Lewis to Laura Marling. Despite her American provenance, there's a hint of an English accent in the way she sings in her deep, at times slightly coarse, voice.Nature is a strong theme throughout To Be Still, from animals to landscapes to the elements. The lyrics almost read like a Ted Hughes poem at times - "Last year's antlers/Mark the trail" - and are unlike anything written by her contemporaries. She seems to write songs in the way people like Leonard Cohen to - with time, consideration, thought, and many re-writes. Not just a few clichés strung together.There's a lot of female singer/songwriters about at the moment, but Alela Diane stands head and shoulders above them all. And let's face it, were we expecting Guy Garvey to be wrong? 72%Alela Diane on MySpace