[Astralwerks/Virgin, 2010]

words// taylor hebble

After listening to Laura Marling’s sophomore effort, I Speak Because I Can, I found myself once again truly impressed by this talented young artist. A mere eighteen years old when her first album Alas, I Cannot Swim came out, Marling charmed the music world -myself included- with her enticing Hampshire accent and acoustic guitar, and was even nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Fast forward two years, and you’ll discover that she has done it once again. Gone are the songs of teenage love, and in their place we see a young woman with wisdom far beyond her years, and a style reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and Cat Power. Album opener “Devil’s Spoke” is a fast-paced, blusey song filled with passion and allegory, and the album only gets better from there. “Goodbye England” is another standout song, as is the thunderous “Rambling Man”.

I Speak Because I Can is a breath of fresh air, an album that is a perfect, seemingly-impossible blend of classic folk sound and the timely lyrics that made Marling one of my favorite artists with her debut. Do not hesitate to buy this album- it will easily be one of the best releases this year, and Marling is well on her way to becoming the folk-rock juggernaut of her time. Jump on the bandwagon now.

Top song: “Devil’s Spoke”