Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
Folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling saw her star rise this year, winning Best Female Solo Arist at the Brit Awards.
A Creature I Don't Know - her third studio album, and follow-up to last year's I Speak Because I Can - proves that the award, and recognition Marling is getting, is fully deserved.
Although not quite as stripped down as her debut Alas, I Cannot Swim, the album isn't a departure by any means, and will please her fans.
By third track 'Don't Ask Me Why', it's already clear that Laura Marling is a special artist, and that A Creature I Don't Know could be her defining album.
It's certainly her best to date, managing to combine folk, country, pop and rock influences wonderfully to create a record as inspired as it is diverse.
Marling's sound is as haunting as ever, 'The Beast' in particular carrying an incredibly dark atmosphere.
Initially surprisingly powerful despite it's low-key instrumentation, it builds to an epic crescendo, complete with fuzzy, gritty electric guitar lines that show a development in the already admirable diversity of her work.
Given the number of acts attempting to cash in on the success of contemporary UK folk singer-songwriters like Laura Marling and Frank Turner, it's nice to hear her experiment across the album.
Still, some of the best moments on A Creature I Don't Know are when it's stripped down and simple, acoustic-driven 'Night After Night' being a highlight on the record.
For all the talk of the sound of the instrumentation of the album, it's all tied together by Marling's vocals.
'Rest In The Bed' shows her incredible range, an underrated aspect of her music.
The album ends on a high with the upbeat (and ironically titled) 'All My Wage', one of the strongest tracks on the record.
It brings to an end a consistent and moving album, admirable for its diversity and ambition.
A Creature I Don't Know will cement Laura Marling's status as one of the best singer-songwriters this country has produced over the last five years.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
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