ENERVATION AND melancholy have dominated many albums released so far in 2020 - an understandable reaction to last year with Brexit, the continued presence of Trump, and climate change, as well as an uncomfortable presaging of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Yet such states deaden the impact of the music within, suffusing them with resignation. Not so Laura Marling’s new album, which brims with energy and vitality - right from the off, as attested by the confident chordal sequence which introduces opening track ‘Alexandra’ - while also retaining the confessional intimacy that is an essential hallmark of the acoustic folk/singer-songwriter genre.
Much of that energy comes from the dominant themes of feminism, love and sexuality, and the unexpected finding of God “in the strangest place”, over melodies and music that is, by turns, sweet, poignant, seemingly delicate, yet always possessed of an innner strength.
The percussive shuffle of ‘Strange Girl’ celebrates a woman (or perhaps all women ) who displays independence in the face of social expectations; there is an admission, perhaps declaration, of bisexuality over the delightful fingerpicked guitar of ‘Only The Strong’. Yet it is not raised as a way to label the singer, more as a way for Marling to put forth her own strong code of fidelity.
Most unexpected - for the singer as much as for her audience - comes in finding (a denominationally undefined ) God in the final two tracks, particularly the gentle, yet uplifting ‘For You’, where, Laura thanks the Almighty, who she has “never met, never loved, never wanted” for bringing the one she loves into her life.
Laura brought forward the release date of the album in response to the Covid-19 restrictions. "I saw no reason," she said, "to hold back on something that, at the very least, might entertain, and at its best, provide some sense of union." It does both Laura, in spades.
