Lucy Hamblin
Laura Marling will be at Celebrate Brooklyn!
Laura Marling sings in strange cadences. Shell pack words tightly in one verse, then relax them in the next, the better to follow the pauses and spurts of animated speech.
When Im singing I feel like Im talking to someone, she says. Im in conversation when I perform either with myself or with whomever is listening.
Right now, more and more people are listening quite closely. Marling has become one of the most talked about, and lauded, singers in the increasingly influential British neo-folk movement. Last year, she won the Best British Female prize at the Brit Awards, their answer to the Grammys. She also took the title of Best Solo Artist from the prestigious U.K. publication NME.
At the time, Marling was just 21. Not that you could tell from listening, or from talking, to her. In conversation, Marling tends to be formal, analytical, and controlled. She answers questions in full sentences that leave not an ounce of fat and allow for no hesitation.
The poise of her demeanor stands in sharp contrast to much of what Marling is singing about. Key songs on her startling new CD, A Creature I Don't Know, employ the image of a beast, with lyrics that speak of dark desires and greedy needs.
I find The Beast a very useful image, says Marling. Its a personification of that part of people that deals with animal emotions, which is key to the human character. Its the reason people are the way they are. It comes up often in the songs, but for a different use each time.
Marling has the savvy and skill to communicate a variety of beastly feelings through her shifting vocals alone. Thats good news for her current American tour, which finds her backed by a smaller band than usual. (Her drummer took ill shortly before the shows began). Marling will reveal this sparer sound Thursday at Celebrate Brooklyn!
Shell play songs from a catalogue that, despite her slight age, includes three CDs. She released her debut, 2008s Alas, I Cannot Swim, when she was just 17. But the London native began her career even younger at 16 singing briefly with the quirky English group Noah and the Whale, while writing and independently releasing, singles. Almost immediately, Marling found a place in Britains growing acoustic scene, along with stars like Johnny Flynn and Mumford & Sons.
Though she has been labeled a folkie, Marling has limited connection to Celtic roots. I think people now understand the term British folk in a different way, she says. They know it doesnt have to do with traditional folk music.
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