Wednesday 26 June 2013

Killer Opening Songs (Ghosts by Laura Marling)

Besides her highly creative album cover designs and unpredictable titles (I Speak Because I Can and A Creature I Don’t Know come to mind) Laura Marling has managed to carve a niche for herself in the always difficult music industry. She has been a trailblazer for the last five years at a moment when the UK is awash with female singer songwriters. What makes Marling different from the Adeles, Duffys and (sadly late) Amys of this world is her ability to match arresting lyrics with beautiful and innovative arrangements.

Her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim is a good example of the above. At times poetic and at other times direct, the record showcases an artist who, despite her young age – she was barely eighteen when the album came out – displays the savvy incarnation of an older and more experienced woman. Ghosts, the Killer Opening Song is a classic example. The melody starts in third person singular telling the uncomplicated story of a man en route to meet his girlfriend/lover. Listeners are invited to follow him as “He walked down a busy street/Staring solely at his feet/Clutching pictures of past lovers at his side/Stood at the table where she sat/ And removed his hat/In respect of her presence/Presents her with the pictures and says: "These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you. These are just ghosts that broke my heart before I met you"

Already the tone is set. This is not going to be easy; he seems to be saying to his girlfriend/lover. He has skeletons in his closet. Or rather, ghosts.

Songs like this one make Alas I Cannot Swim a unique record and one that has made Laura Marling a kind of folk pin-up for people who don’t really listen to folk. Not that she cares about labels and categories. She just wants to make music. And with four albums to her name in a very short time (Once I Was an Eagle was released this year and it is fantastic), Killer Opening Songs doesn’t believe that her immediate goal is to become the figurehead of a movement. Laura has a lot to say, write and sing about and does it in the most impressive and liberated way.

As an Introductory Track With Murderous Intentions Ghost hints at this forward thinking approach, mixed with the sensibility of old folk. On which, a quick note, if Marling is folk, K.O.S. is a master of klezmer. Her style, if anyone attempted to categorise it would have to be pop with influences from folk and prog-rock (especially in her latest album). Her songwriting owes a lot to Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, but her arrangements would not be out of place on an Emerson, Lake and Palmer LP, or even Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother (If comes to mind). At the same time Laura Marling’s sound is her own.

The rest of the record continues in a similar vein of strong vocals, accordion riffs (Crawled Out of the Sea) and sombre drums (Night Terror). What is more important: Laura Marling is addictive. Get Alas I Cannot Swim and you will be getting the three albums that followed. All thanks to Ghosts, the Killer Opening Song.

© 2013

Next Post: “Sunday Mornings: Coffee, Reflections and Music”, to be published on Sunday 30th June at 10am (GMT)


20 comments:

  1. Very pretty music and she certainly has a beautiful presence. Thanks. (This is Manicddaily btw from wordpress, commening on an iPad which wants me to use old blogger ID.) k.

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  2. Oh, gosh, I love Laura Marling and was so disappointed to miss seeing her in concert here in Los Angeles recently. She has a song about swimming out of the sea -- very intense -- that reminds me of my daughter. I get chills every time I listen to it --

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  3. Es una música melódica, me gusta, que tu día sea feliz con una buena canción.

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  4. She sure has quite the voice, first I've come across her.

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  5. I love the way she opens, her voice, her guitar, simple story. The complications come with the rest of the orchestra, and still, she has that controlled narrative going on.
    Thanks for introducing her to us.

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  6. oh you made me so curious to listen to the song - can't watch the video though due to german copy right..ugh...will try and see if i can find her somewhere

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  7. oh a very cool song...she does some fun things with pacing her lyrics and voice in it as well...added it to the list as that first song hooked me... very cool...

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  8. She does funny, little things with her voice, doesn't she? What I like about Marling above all is that she hasn't, so far, compromised. She can sometimes sing barefoot, at other times she looks up and loses herself in the song she is singing without acknowledging the audience. Sometimes she sings in a whisper. All four albums are very distinctive, that's why the "folk" label is unfair, in my opinion. It's too limiting. I was torn between writing about this tune or another great Killer Opening Song, The Devil's Spoke. But since I have already posted the latter, I decided to go for the former.

    Have a great weekend you all. Ta muchly.

    Greetings from London.

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  9. that artist was not at all what i expected. I can clearly see why you like her. I might look for the record myself. :) Thanks for sharing it.

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  10. I don't know anything about music but she does sound folksy with a quick beat. At the same time plaintiff such as singers of the 60s. Very nice.

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  11. Never heard of her~I'm glad you "took the time" to get to know her music. I find a lot of people not in the 18-30 age group tend to dismiss younger singers before really experiencing them as they are.

    I'm feeling that she has thematic similarities with another female artist, but I cannot pull the other name up, so a lot of good that does....

    She seems to have made a special place for herself.~Mary

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  12. She has a wonderful voice! Can't wait to introduce my daughter to her.

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  13. Such a hauntingly beautiful voice!
    Thank you so much for sharing her unique talent with us.
    I will be seeking out more of her music now.:)

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  14. so very glad you help me musically "hop the pond". We get so little world music here.
    Peace

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  15. I just came across this beauty. A choreography based on "Ghosts".

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxkGDalSDXA

    Have a great weekend.

    Greetings from London.

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  16. I Heard one time before, she really have a nice voice, lovely music!

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  17. She's very good! Never got to her before. Will certainly look her up in YouTube forthwith! Thanks for sharing!

    Hank

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  18. Very beautiful and haunting. I've always had a weakness for Brit singer/songwriters, thanks for the introduction.

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  19. Oh I so agree with you, she is such a great artist. There's something about her voice which can just haunt you, even when it is only accompanied by just a guitar. She can build such an intensity which always gives me chills.

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