Laura Marling

Posted by: Tarquin Maynard - Portly on 19 June 2013

In summary: wow.

A beautiful voice, lovely lyrics and a long future ahead of her, methinks.

Posted on: 19 June 2013 by DenisA

I'm going to the Grand Eagle Hotel 'Event' tomorrow night at Victoria Park.

I think it's quite different from the normal concert experience. I'll review after the series of events have completed, so not to spoil the surprise for anyone else attending.

http://www.lauramarling.com/home/

Posted on: 19 June 2013 by Iver van de Zand

I have various albums of Laura Marling and really enjoy them for her great voice and lyrics. Also sound quality of the albums is more than ok.

Iver

Posted on: 19 June 2013 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

Denis you're going to have to expand!

Posted on: 19 June 2013 by DenisA

Ok Mike,

This is part of the review in the Telegraph on 17 June. I haven't read more myself, as I don't want to know fully what's going on in advance ...

Laura Marling review http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cul...-Marling-review.html

Laura Marling's concert at the Grand Eagle Hotel in east London was an extraordinary immersive experience, says Neil McCormick.

5 star review

Is this the future of live music? Working with the actors and event producers of Secret Cinema, Laura Marling has created an immersive experience in which her performance is the grace note of an elaborate fantasy. I have seen bigger, louder, brasher, more dazzling, hi-tech productions, but in a lifetime of gig going, I have never had a night like this.

A rambling Victorian manor in East London had been converted to resemble an elegantly rundown 1920s hotel, presided over by the mysterious and imaginary Undine family, mythic water-nymph characters referred to on Marling’s latest album, Once I Was An Eagle.

ATB

Denis

Posted on: 20 June 2013 by Mike Hughes

She certainly requires full immersion to get the most out of her but she leaves me utterly cold as a musician as a singer and as a person. She's always struck me as someone who almost gathers life experience but does nothing with it except write songs. The latest is the first one that even halfway engaged me so I purchased it on cd and goodness is it dry. Not an ounce of light or shade or humour or lightness of touch. Intense is not a bad thing but it is when it seems to be to no purpose. She's a very intense young last and after my fifth listen to the album I find myself impressed by the intensity and concentration but thoroughly unimpressed by the actual songwriting. I could even have coped if the singing was better but, whilst I've always been a fan of close miking, I can't help but think in her case it masks a rather one note voice singing some rather one note songs. I suppose I could have just posted that I really don't like her at all but what would the fun in that be?

Now, to what extent do her fans mirror her I wonder? "Steps back and awaits po faced and most upset and most unnecessary responses

Posted on: 20 June 2013 by Bruce Woodhouse

Mike

You are not alone. I have not heard the most recent album in full, only a select few tracks, but I have heard the ones before.

I find the music amiable, and forgettable. It does not strike me as having anything that will endure; I do not imagine digging it out in a few years and listening with any great interest.

Not that I think it is 'bad', and I can certainly understand other people liking it a lot but for me it is unremarkable.

Bruce

Posted on: 21 June 2013 by DenisA

All I will say is at the moment is that Laura was mesmerising last night. Her voice and guitar playing were beyond my expectations

Posted on: 21 June 2013 by Premmyboy

The latest album once I was an Eagle is my favourite album this year so far.

Posted on: 23 June 2013 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

Me too.

There is something about her voice that just gets under my skin. I love it.

Too subtle for some? Chacun a son gout..

Posted on: 23 June 2013 by Hook

I'm with TMP on this one, and I am a bit surprised by the negative responses!

I do think Marling's latest album was no more than a sideways move. But based on her previous efforts, I think she had set the bar extremely high! IMHO, her first three albums are all amazing, and any one of them could become a classic. I rank her right up there with the likes of Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter in terms of both her singing and song writing.

Besides that, I owe her a personal debt. It took only the first few songs of "I Speak Because I Can" to sell my Harbeth C7s to a very nice, middle-aged gentleman. TBH, I think he fell as much in love with Laura as he did with my speakers!

ATB.

Hook

PS - Speaking of music that "gets under your skin" (an interesting way of describing music that we connect with on a very emotional level), I had a similar experience recently with The Staves "Dead and Born and Grown". Three lovely sisters blessed with beautiful voices and a true talent for harmonizing. Wonderful stuff!

Posted on: 23 June 2013 by Mike Hughes

I find the connection between Laura Marling and The Staves interesting. The latter theoretically push all the right buttons but it's almost like they have mastered the template but are struggling to express their own emotional lives within it. What you're left with effectively is something between a masterful pastiche and a facsimile of the real thing. I don't consider either to be the real thing. I note what you say about the consistency but I read that as little more than a lack of progression. As I say, she has the template but is unable to communicate anything other than coldness within it. The comparison between Shawn, MCC and Marling is behind me I'm afraid. I guess you could argue there is common ground in as much as both of them peaked by their 4th albums too

Posted on: 23 June 2013 by NickSeattle

I am grateful for TMP and Hook for introducing me to this interesting performer. I have spent a couple of hours listening in the background and rather like the sound. I also appreciate the counterpoint from Mike Hughes. I like the dialogue.

Nick

Posted on: 26 June 2013 by Mike Hughes

So, have given the latest album it's 10th chance

Is it just me or is everything up to Interlude a Page and Plant riff? No Quarter perhaps? I've no problem with musical themes a la The Hazards Of Love by The Decemberists but this is repetitive in the extreme and just odd. After Interlude we have an entirely different album. Sadly it is Ethan John remaking Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams with a female vocalist. It is much more enjoyable. It is pleasant. It's nothing to especially write home about. Ah well.