Laura Marling
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Folk-influenced alternative pop
Status:
Most recent release, A Creature I Don't Know (2011)
See also:
Laura Marling's Official site
Comparisons:
A less electronic Beth Orton; Fiona Apple if she sang folk; Sandy Denny, Kirsty MacColl
Covers/own material:
Own material
General comments:
Among the better of the debuting British female singer-songwriters this year. Definitely one to watch. (lotterose @ gmail . com)
Comments about live performance:
The punchline to this extremely shaggy dog story is that she was very, very good. Excellent, even.
Frail and slight, practically elfin, she looks about 12. Not a lot of stagecraft, eyes lowered as she sings and plays an amazingly decent acoustic guitar, and her voice even stronger than on the CD. A strange, haunting, delicate kind of strength it is, like a finely wrought steel latticework, spiralling upwards. She had a full band behind her, a talented bunch, plus a string section, and while the sound was sometimes muddied by the bad acoustics, her voice shone through, and the arrangements pulled it forward. I was won over, no doubt about it, even in my grouchy, cynical mood. She only played for about 45 minutes, threw in a couple of new songs not on the album, and kept banter to a minimum. When she did speak, it was diffident and good humoured, but she was obviously nervous.
So, that's the full-fat version. It you're into folk, or folk-pop, or Nu Folk or whatever they're calling it, I recommend her highly. Buy the album and, if you can see her, take a chance. Despite my reservations, she delivers the goods. (6/08, adamk@zoom.co.uk)Saw her in New York (summer 2008) after having read a bit about her but only being familiar with a few songs. Stage presence was limited (she didn't talk much between songs and was rather introspective while singing, not really performing *to* the crowd) but the set was fun, and I enjoyed it. It was also nice to see her open up and become more engaging as the evening went on. I'd go see her again. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Recommended first album:
Alas I Cannot Swim
Recordings:
- My Manic and I (EP, 2008)
- Alas I Cannot Swim (2008)
- iTunes Live: London Sessions EP (live iTunes-only EP, 2008)
- Cross Your Fingers EP (2008)
- Night Terror EP (2008)
- I Speak Because I Can (2010)
- Blues Run the Game single (2010)
- A Creature I Don't Know (2011)
My Manic and I
Release info:
2008
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
I love this EP. It's the Laura Marling recording I listen to most (it's also the first one I bought; I got both full-length albums a couple of years later). The two new songs ("New Romantic" and "Typical") fit really well with the ones from Alas I Cannot Swim ("Night Terror" and "My Manic and I"), creating a mood that, for me, is just right. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Alas I Cannot Swim
Release info:
2008—Virgin—CDVY3040
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Laura Marling—vocals, acoustic guitar
Guest artists:
Charlie Fink
Marcus Mumford
Tom Hobden
Emily Dreyfus
Emily Thomas
Guy Katsaw
Jesse Quin
Johnny Coates
Laura Dickson
Lotte Johnson
Nick Murray
Rob Greenwood
Winston Marshall
Produced by:
Charlie Fink
Comments:
There are many heavily-hyped young singer-songwriters coming out of England this year, but Laura Marling is one of the best. Her debut is intelligent, tuneful, and modern without being overly trendy (see: certain other heavily-hyped young singer-songwriters coming out of England this year.) Laura's voice is quite pleasant; at times, she sounds like a younger Beth Orton. Her songs are remarkably mature considering her age, and I'm still noticing little details of production in the songs themselves. Standout tracks are "My Manic And I" and "Night Terror." One of the best albums of the year. (lotterose @ gmail . com)Her debut, Alas I cannot Swim is actually very good, though I like it more than I love it, and it has to be admitted that at 18 years old, it's stunningly mature music and she's got a hell of a delivery (think traditional Brit folkie, a more deadpan Sandy Denny/Kirsty MacColl, although I'm open to better comparisons). One of the best albums of the year. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)
One of the best albums of the year. (christina_skov@hotmail.com, cjmacs@micronet.net)
I Speak Because I Can
Release info:
2010—Virgin Records—CDVY3075
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Laura Marling
Guest artists:
Ruth De Turberville
Ted Dwane
Tom Hobden
Ethan Johns
Winston Marshall
Marcus Mumford
Pete Roe
Produced by:
Ethan Johns
Comments:
Strikingly lovely. Even more mature and interesting than her debut. (JoAnn Whetsell)I loved her very promising debut, but this feels like a regression, a college sophomore coffee-house strummer who's been listening to way too much Nick Drake. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)
One of the best albums of the year. (gordoja@optonline.net, Marion)
A Creature I Don't Know
Release info:
2011—Virgin
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Comments:
Another year, another inscrutable title from Ms Marling, and another album that can best be described as "promising". Last time she'd been listening to too much Nick Drake, this time it's Joni Mitchell. She indulges in some awful lyrics ("I was just a card/caught up in the stars/Looking down on Mars"), an inexplicable American accent and some coolly detached singing before ending with the fantastic but all-too-late "All My Rage". I'd welcome some more grit and passion, on the whole. (adamk@zoom.co.uk)All of Laura Marling's seem to grow on me slowly, and her latest is no exception. But it is growing on me, and I like it more with each listen. Especially the sections that are less introspective singer-songwriter and more of a full band. Check out "Salinas" and "All My Rage." (JoAnn Whetsell)
Further info:
Collaborations include:
Beans On Toast's song "I Fancy Laura Marling" appears on their album Standing on a Chair (2009) and on the compilation Xtra Mile High Club, Vol. 2 (2010).
- "Young Love" with Mystery Jets on their album Twenty One (2008)
- "The Water" with Johnny Flynn on his album Been Listening (2010)
- The Dharohar Project, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons EP (2010) which contains a new version of her song "Devil's Spoke"
Thanks to Sarah Morayati and JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
