I guess against all the other lovable, British, female pop crooners we are served with these days, such as Lily Allen, Kate Nash, and Adele, Laura Marling seem to be packaging her music in the most natural and effortless form. Marling may only be eighteen, but her songs are lyrically astute and showcases conviction wiser beyond her years. It’s servings of gorgeous and reflective, modern folk-pop that she offers in her 2008 released record, Alas, I Cannot Swim, which recently earned her a Mercury prize nomination. Though she didn’t win, her songs still remain firmly within some of the most memorable compositions 2008 has had a fair share of. That said, I’m not particularly taken with the album, apart from tracks such as the stunning simplicity in ‘Ghosts’ and the traipsing pop number, ‘Cross Your Fingers’, and perhaps other slightly worth mentioning ones such as ‘Failure’ and the short interlude song, but the rest of the record feels a bit forgettable. And though Marling does have one of the most beautiful voices around, carrying a lovely, sweet clarity that’s sometimes husky but brimming with warmth, the singing can be so restrained and fleeting that it irks me to no end. But at the end of the day, her skills are nothing short of impressive. Goes to show, you can still create something so heartwarming and beautiful even when using the most minimal of paraphernalia.|mp3| Laura Marling - Ghosts
|mp3| Laura Marling - Cross Your Finger
