Laura Marling’s highly anticipated third album, ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’, is due for release on 12th September. Fans can expect further captivating brilliance as her songwriting works its magic again. As the recent video to the new lead single ‘Sophia‘ shows, the work of producer Ethan Jones (Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams, Emmylou Harris) has really paid off. From the tenderly sung guitar opening, it gradually builds in folk-rich textured layers and harmonies before the full band lifts it to heights which match the rising angst. It was directed by long-time collaborators Fred & Nick, who also shot a short documentary that we featured last year. It was shot in an old church in Buenos Aires while Laura was there playing a few shows earlier this year.
The album balances from the uplifting to the more subdued and occasional darker moments such as on ‘Night After Night‘ and ‘Don’t Ask Me Why‘, a lot of introspection that contrasts with the apt album title of internal confusion. Rest in Bed seeks a promise…
All that I have are these bones
And all that I want is a home
And all you can do is promise me bold
That you won’t let me grow dark or cold
As long as we both shall live
There is an amusing story behind this song. Laura did make a reference to a gig and told the audience that she wrote it in LA. She suggested, jokingly, that it would be good for a film. No doubt the references to “that you won’t let me grow dark or cold” got them on another train of thought to what she had in mind, and a large percentage of folks thought she was referring to the film Twilight. Her laughing and grimace at this point made it clear that this was not the case…still the rumours persist.
All that aside, 21-year-old Laura Marling’s lyrical musings have always been her strong point, but this time around, it is the combination of high-caliber songwriting, top-notch production, and greater texture and layers of sound that make A Creature I Don’t Know a much bigger deal than I Speak Because I Can and definitely her best work to date.
Tracklist for A Creature I Don’t Know:
01 The Muse
02 I Was Just A Card
03 Don’t Ask Me Why
04 Salinas
05 The Beast
06 Night After Night
07 My Friends
08 Rest In The Bed
09 Sophia
10 All My Rage
