Altsounds - Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim [Album]

Hang-over music has always played a huge part in all of our lives. Waking up with a mouth dryer than Ghandi's flip flopp, scanning the room for the nearest beverage available. Whilst thinking "Anything is better than standing up right now". Laura Marling quenches the thirst, with a soothing approach to Folk song writing. She eases into your lobes with acoustic music that is one word; beautiful.

Laura's vocal delivery is new, she kind of mumbles, but you can hear her clearly. Kind of sounding like no effort is being put in, yet it still feels heartfelt. For a young lady she seems to have alot of experience song writing. Every track is well written like a lullaby of fairy-tale melodies. It's nice to hear a fresh voice conjuring up this material and it actually being good. She is helped along by Noah And The Whale with production from lead singer/guitarist Charlie Fink. They also add an off-beat approach to acoustic songs writing.

Each track eases into the air, and floats around in a blanket of feathery guitar, violin and drums. "Tap At My Window" explores Marling's vocal talent, singing in a certain way that catches you by surprise. Musically it builds and builds using violins and drums that is indescribable. The only real poppy song is "Cross Your Fingers" starting off with a drum beat with acoustic and violin. The rest of the tracks are all acoustic with a small amount of percussion that works wonderfully. "Your Only Doll (Dora)" finishes off the album so well. Her lyrics are very intriguing throughout "And you've broken your only doll, And what will you do with a girl, If she's refusing to be alive?" suggesting a frail side to marling that is ever so present [based from her look]. A young fragile woman, with a voice and song writing ability of an old, soulful lady. The main part of the track is around three minutes, this is then followed with about two mins of birds chirping. Hidden away at five minutes is a beautiful gem of a song, simple acoustic with a double harmony throughout "There's a house across the river, but alas. I cannot swim". The track builds adding more vocals and ending with layers of "work more; earn more' / live more; have more fun".

The poor girl can't swim, but she can't half bloody sing!