She mightn't know it, but she certainly owns it

Album: A Creature I Don't Know
Artist: Laura Marling
Label: Virgin Records
Release date: 12 September, 2011

RATING: 4/5 stars


Laura Marling has grown up. Not that she ever sounded anything but mature, but now that her age matches her wisdom, the hairs on the back of your neck have an even more valid reason to defy gravity in response to her beautifully thrilling world-weary song-craft. But it's more than maturity: after her somewhat shy debut into the music world as a solo artist, leaning on the talents of previous bandmates Noah and The Whale, Marling has emerged from her cocoon of insecurity as a fully-fledged singer-songwriter who is now presenting a sound that is entirely and unapologetically her own.

From the offset it's obvious Marling is developing into a delightfully versatile artist, choosing to explore rather than settle in the safety of previous success. With a rawness seemingly ripped from the journals of a hundred stories of desperation, defiance, betrayal, desire and internal conflict, she weaves her haunting lyrical expertise through a sophisticated and ever-increasing folk-based palette of sounds. Cheekily up-beat opening number "The Muse" sidles up slyly and evolves from a guitar/brush snare rhythm to a fearlessly jazzy strut with cello accents and jazz-standard piano licks.  "The Beast" dips into a darkness heavier than anything Marling has produced before, "Night After Night" strips things back to guitar and husky vocals, "Sophia" builds to a loping swing with breathless vocals, and the sardonic "All My Rage" gives the end of the album a carefree farewell.

Rather than keep the sweet whimsy or gutsy jangles of acoustic folk, A Creature I Don't Know is a delicious experimentation of instrumentation and timbre, filling out the compositions with baleful horns, brooding strings, ever more prominent percussion, soaring harmonies, electric guitars and even some remarkably heavy distortion - all integrated so perfectly that the attention is not rudely grasped but rather marvels at the beauty of a sound that has blossomed from bedroom ballads to songs with enough soul to fill a concert hall, yet still reach every audience member individually.

While definitely 'finished', these are not necessarily polished songs - there is a rambling quality to many that doesn't always hold the ear as successfully as I Speak Because I Can. But, contrary to the title, this is the sound of an artist who knows herself all too well and conducts such self-expression with admirable talent and fearless originality. While often less accessible than Marling's previous work, this is such a confidently personal and emotionally complex album that what it lacks sometimes in discipline, it makes up for with touching insight and raw sincerity. Marling fans will be delighted to find that the folk songstress is far from lacking in inspiration.

Is it worth my $$$? - I was mesmerised by the fresh new sound I heard from the iTunes preview and my money was as good as gone from the outset; but if you're new to Laura's work, check out some of her older stuff before deciding. This is certainly a little different.


Listen to: The Muse, Salinas, All My Rage