Alas, I Cannot Swim

Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
Critic Score
Based on 14 reviews
2008 Ratings: #315 / 806
User Score
Based on 164 ratings
2008 Rank: #151
Liked by 15 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Independent
Producer Charlie Fink has created a warm, welcoming instrumental backdrop that frames Marling's voice perfectly, revealing (but not accentuating) the echoes of singers like Sandy Denny, Jacqui McShea and Jolie Holland. It all adds up to a hugely impressive debut from an outstanding talent.
80
musicOMH

Her songs are similarly sparse and fragile, with some astonishingly mature lyrics framed by beautifully pretty melodies.

80
Under the Radar

Alas, I Cannot Swim is an awe-inspiring debut by an old soul on a mission to inject some much needed legitimacy into the singer/songwriting tradition.

80
The Guardian

The unnervingly grown-up Alas I Cannot Swim is the result, and if it doesn't install her as the heir to the likes of Devendra Banhart, there's no hope for folk-pop.

70
Drowned in Sound

Where Adele sounds like a method actor, Marling weaves secretive threads of thought that suggest she’s agonised over things long enough for them to come together with a thud in plain-spoken full stops.

70
AllMusic

There's every chance that Laura Marling will get lost in the shuffle as the unexpected commercial success of Feist's The Reminder leads major labels to unleash hordes of similarly talented female singer/songwriters, but Alas I Cannot Swim is far better than the average coffee house-endorsed girly pop.

70
SPIN

Marling’s voice, rich and tenuous, recalls Joni Mitchell, but her fatalistic screeds — sung over acoustic guitar, with an occasional burst of percussion or strings — owe more to Nick Drake and Will Oldham.

68
Pitchfork
Almost perceptibly "maturing" before our ears, however, Marling spends much of the record's second half mired in vague symbolism and unfortunate logorrhea, with her music frequently seeming to grind to a halt from the strain.
60
Uncut

Her creamy voice canters over deft fingerpicked guitars and celtic violin throughout the rest of the album, and although the heights of the aforementioned song are barely hinted at elsewhere, Marling’s promise – she’s just 17 years old – is as clear as spring water.

60
The Observer
It's rare for a record to promise longevity on first listen but Marling's songs have a devastating beauty that may prove timeless.
eastbaldboy
60

2008 Laura Marling is indiscernible from current day Laura Marling. On nearly all accounts.

KingIsCole10
65

This album is really nothing special but Laura has always been a talented singer and a really solid songwriter.

palomacola
73

I put 'Crawled Out Of The Sea (Interlude)' on repeat when I need to crawl out of bed, the sea, the dark hole of sadness inside us all, etc.

Swagmandan21
72

All the individual songs are rlly rlly good but the lack of variation in sound means that everything kinda blurs together in a kinda boring project overall. Like half this album is in my liked songs but I never rlly come back and listen to this.

Album art 4/10

insomniblvck
83

She may not be able to swim, but she can definitely make a great album

burntheborder
65

i love marling, the writing here is already great and gets even better throughout her career. this one is a good debut, i'm glad she grew sm as an artist. not that "alas, i cannot swim" is bad at all, it just doesnt have a huge impact on me. it was enough for me to keep listening to her music in the past tho, and i will for sure revisit her whole discography.

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Track List

1Ghosts
3:01
94
2Old Stone
2:59
90
3Tap at My Window
2:47
90
4Failure
3:21
89
5You're No God
2:27
87
6Cross Your Fingers
2:23
86
7Crawled Out of the Sea (Interlude)
1:16
88
8My Manic and I
3:56
86
9Night Terror
3:09
89
10The Captain and the Hourglass
3:09
87
11Shine
2:39
86
12Your Only Doll (Dora)
7:18
Contains hidden track "Alas I Cannot Swim"
90
Total Length: 38 minutes

Year End Lists

#8/musicOMH
#14/NME
#18/The Guardian
#47/Paste
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