The ways in which we find our way to new music are often varied – this album came through our doors as a result of hearing some beautiful backing vocals on the latest Jory Nash album (‘New Blue Day’), and a few emails later this disc arrived from Canada.
Dala are two young Canadian artists (Amanda Walther & Shelia Carabine), who are quickly making waves on their domestic folk scene and look likely to pick up a deserved profile in the US and Europe.
‘Everyone is Someone’ is a classic folk/pop crossover album full of instant hooks and well crafted songs, but what really makes Dala standout are their fantastic voices and harmonies.  Their voices are obviously different, Amanda is an effortless soprano and Shelia a silky alto, but when they trade melody lines mid song it’s hard to see the joins.  The real magic happens when they sing together and the harmonies start; there are moments here that are genuinely beautiful to hear.
The whole album is melody led, and is a mix of influences of styles – there are moments where the harmonies evoke memories of the 60s, but in equal measure there are singer/songwriter pieces that would grace any acoustic folk album.
Highlights include ‘Horses’, a touching but not mawkish song that is superbly written, ‘Northern Lights’ is catchy upbeat song with a fantastic hook, and ‘Lonely Girl’ starts slowly and builds to an almost anthemic melody rich chorus.
This is the perfect cross-over album, the melodies make it instantly accessible, and while the production can lean towards the poppy side of things, there are some genuinely excellent songs here.  Dala are certainly a duo to watch out for in the coming year or two.

1 Lonely Girl
2 Alive
3 Crushed
4 Levi Blues
5 Horses
6 Compass
7 Northern Lights
8 Face In The Morning
9 Younger
10 Stand In Awe
11 Levi Blues (AM Transistor remix)

£12.99