ARTIST:
LAURA MARLING


ALBUM:
A CREATURE I DON'T KNOW


KEY TRACKS:
SOPHIA
MY FRIENDS
ALL MY RAGE
THE MUSE

"I'm wounded by dust"

Laura Marling and I have the same problem:  we were born old.  For most, this comes across as a compliment:  "you've got everything figured out", "you're so level headed", "you're so mature".  Sometimes it is a good thing, but believe me when I say that is just as frustrating.  If this is you, than you understand it when I say you can never relate to your peers, you're wiser than your boyfriends, and you end up bearing more responsibilities than you'd like.  So what do you do?  What do you do.

There is something in Laura Marling's husky voice that hits home for me.  She's only 22 and yet there is such a sense of experience in her voice that it leaves you haunted.  Laura delves into heavy subjects like abuse, falling out of love,  feelings of hopelessness, the consequences of her choices, and guilt.  Yet however dark her subject matter, Laura Marling turns it into something exquisite.  She expresses the concept that pain too can be beautiful in its own way.  Like love, happiness, and excitement, angst too is an emotion that needs to be expressed.  However,  it is too often neglected in our behaviors.  But no matter difficult, Marling is mature enough to handle and address the lows that come along with the highs of life.


Surprisingly, A Creature I Don't Know is Laura Marling's third release and critically acclaimed as her most mature yet.  I read one review from from Pitchfork in particular that summed up my feelings about Laura Marling:  "it's not entirely clear whether these songs are springing fourth from a 21 year old Englishwoman or some deathless wandering spirit".  One listen and you'll agree that Laura's music indeed feels timeless.  This notion of a "wandering spirit" is very much present in Laura's disposition as she is incredibly poised in performance.  As she sings,  you can tell there's something deeper going on, something much more than we can know, stirring just beneath the surface.


Marling's compositions on Creature are similar in nature, mature themes swimming just below the surface of her songs.  As a result of their complexity, they really deserve more than just one listen.  My Friends is perhaps the best example of this, you can detect a surface meaning of running away but with each listen, you take something different, something more, away from it.  There are songs that are a bit more literal, like I Was Just A Card and Rest In Bed, but no less beautifully written (and taken to song) by Marling.  


Sophia, has a special place in my heart because it really shows the journey from rock bottom to a higher and happier state all in one song.  What Marling does here is fascinating because she repeats the same lyrics over and over again "I'm wounded by dust", "shy and tired eyed am I today" but with a different feel each time.  As the song progresses, the tempo becomes faster, the tone more upbeat, and soon Sophia becomes a joyous burst of powerful energy.  It's the song that reaches to you in a dark places, picks you up, and leaves you thinking "it's going to be okay".  


It's going to be okay.  That's the feeling that Laura gives.   Although her songs can be deeply sad hymns to the human condition, they still have an a underlying message of "carry on".  How exactly does this come across?  Laura says it herself:  "work more, earn more, live more, have more fun"!

LISTEN:  SOPHIA  |  MY FRIENDS  |  ALL MY RAGE  |  THE MUSE

NEXT WEEK:  MY MORNING JACKET  |  CIRCUITAL

What the Folk?  |  My Bonnaroo 2012 Picks

It's that time of year again!  The most wonderful time of the year.  Bonnaroo!  Each year I've visited the farm, I've come with one particular genre in mind.  2010 was for all the new alternative acts, 2011 for the electronic acts, and this year it's overwhelmingly the folk scene.  Besides the obvious heavy hitters like Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foster the People, Feist, etc. I think there are some smaller acts that deserve some recognition.  So if you're lucky enough to get down to the farm this summer here are a few of my favorites I'd recommend seeing:

KURT VILE
Ever since I heard the first few plucky licks of "Baby's Arms" I was completely hooked on Kurt Vile.  There's nothing particularly fancy about his music, it's just good old Americana.  However, there's something mysterious about Vile's slurry vocals with the combination of his fretwork.  It's hypnotic, such that I'm positive that just his presence on stage will command the attention he deserves.

LAURA MARLING
Marling's bitter breakups with fellow musicians have left many with a bitter taste in their mouths for her.  But after just one listen of Marling's epic track "Sophia" I quickly dropped that foolish judgement.  At only 22 years old, Marling has produced some of the most profound and mature songs I've ever heard. Her mature lyrics alongside simple harmonies are exquisite and serve as a promise of young talent in the world of folk music.  

TUNE-YARDS
After last week's review, I can't think of a reason not to see quirky Merrill Garbus in action.  Her music is pretty eccentric in my headphones so I'm pretty curious to see what kinds of antics Garbus is capable of.  This is a woman who isn't afraid to get ugly, push the limits, and put it all out there.  I'm unsure of exactly what will be going down in This Tent when Garbus takes the stage, but I'll be there to see the results.




BON IVER
It's been quite a year for Bonnie Bear!  Not only did Justin Vernon win some well deserved Grammys, but he also claimed the coveted sunset slot on Bonnaroo's main stage.  He's earned it and deserves the all the attention he'll most certainly get on Sunday's set.  It would be worth the whole afternoon to hear "Holocene" live as the sun is setting.  I mean, do I really need to say more?  



ST. VINCENT
I'm still coming off my high of seeing Annie Clark live.  Let me tell you that she did not disappoint.  Clark has a real, tangible presence on stage and knows how to work the crowd.  She croons subtly while her guitar shrieks to life with ungodly riffs and licks.  Annie Clark's got talent, and isn't afraid to share it with the audience. 






Of course with four days of music this is just a tiny snapshot of all the artists that will be heading down to Manchester this year.  It will be exciting to see the acts I plan on seeing, but even moreso to see the ones I stumble upon.  

NEXT WEEK:  KURT VILE  |  SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO