Whatever your opinion of Laura Marling, she is an artist that attracts attention. The main talking point of Alas I Cannot Swim was the age of the artist, juxtaposed with the mature poise of the lyrics and music. Recorded whilst she was but 17, its ponderings on love and all that eventually garnered a Mercury nomination and high positions in those end of year lists. You probably know this.
Reviewing Laura Marling's Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, in 2008, I worried that the then-18-year-old might too quickly shed the teenage guilelessness that contributed so greatly to the record's appeal. Marling possessed an undeniable knack for writing about young love with directness and authentic feeling, but at times her pseudo-profound poetics suggested the young folkie was in too much of a hurry to be a serious adult.
Gentle, beautiful and delivering on everything that you could possibly want on a modern folk record.
This LP reaches back to the late 60s and early 70s, Marling's obvious affection for Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell ever present without being a pastiche. This is a wonderful record.
Essential Track - What he Wrote
MORE LIKE I SERVE BECAUSE I CAN. In all seriousness, this was not a subtle perfect score for me. This is a bold artistic statement made by a young singer-songwriter who creates perfect homages to her idols (especially Joni Mitchell) without wearing the influences on her sleeve. She has an authoritative presence unlike any other project she's made, and the stomping folk production here is to die for. Alpha Shallows is the best song she's ever made. This album is, by far, the best thing Marcus ... read more
just read a review comparing Laura Marling with Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez. just no.
Laura Marling's I Speak Because I Can is extremely raw, personal, and downright gorgeous. Marling's lyricism and vocal performances are top notch here. The instrumentals backing her up are powerful and evocative, contributing to an overall sensational experience that deserves all the praise it's given.
1 | Devil's Spoke 3:39 | 83 |
2 | Made by Maid 2:52 | 80 |
3 | Rambling Man 3:16 | 88 |
4 | Blackberry Stone 3:29 | 85 |
5 | Alpha Shallows 3:42 | 84 |
6 | Goodbye England (Covered in Snow) 3:45 | 86 |
7 | Hope in the Air 4:32 | 84 |
8 | What He Wrote 4:07 | 86 |
9 | Darkness Descends 3:40 | 83 |
10 | I Speak Because I Can 4:00 | 84 |
#4 | / | DIY |
#4 | / | Q Magazine |
#5 | / | NME |
#8 | / | The Guardian |
#10 | / | Entertainment Weekly |
#14 | / | Gigwise |
#14 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
#24 | / | American Songwriter |
#28 | / | Paste |
#29 | / | Clash |