B-
Laura Marling is back this summer with her 4th
studio album Once I was an Eagle following
her September 2011 release, A Creature I
Don’t Know. At 23, the accomplished singer songwriter has had an impressive
career starting with her outstanding debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim. Once I
was an Eagle is reminiscent of Alas,
I Cannot Swim from the getgo and takes a winding and more worldly approach
to an already winning formula.
From the start there has never been a more cohesive and
linear Laura Marling release than this. With its folk sensibilities and its
leanings towards eastern aesthetics, it is difficult to tell when one song
starts and another one begins. 4:12 long ‘Take The Night Off’ transitions
perfectly into ‘I Was An Eagle’ into ‘You Know’. There seems to have never been
more of a concerted effort put into creating a whole sound, rather than a
series of songs, on this particular release.
Marling’s guitar driven ballads ebb and flow with highlights
of violin and mandolin interludes that bring a hint of variety to an otherwise
same-y sounding first half of the album. ‘Little Love Castor’ introduces true
variation to Once I Was An Eagle with
Marling playing what appears to be a sorrowful Spanish epitaph, her voice
drawling deeply and mournfully through free verse. In ‘Little Love Castor’ her
voice is seemingly made for the song and it transitions perfectly into ‘Devil’s
Resting Place’.
True triumph comes on the album when, on ‘Devil’s Resting
Place’ , the Eastern influence that had been dancing throughout the first few
songs is finally allowed to take lead, thumping through a fast paced chorus.
An Interlude partway through signals a move towards faster
paced and jauntier folk instrumentals vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan,
especially on ‘Where Can I Go?’. But quickly the release slows back down, the
ultimate treat being ‘Little Bird’—the second to last track.
Overall, this release is strong, demonstrating the best of
Marling’s song writing ability. However, her apparent reluctance to move forward with her music, sparingly
employing the eastern sounding instrumentals, points to a rather sophomoric attempt
at musical arrangement. While there are highlights to the album, with some
songs rising theatrically in a rather Jeff Buckley-esque manner, Marling falls
flat in her overall execution, failing to move forward and away from coffee
shop background vibe.
The album was released by Virgin Records on May 27th
and is available for download on iTunes and Amazon.
