Spearhead of intellectual British folk

It was to be expected at least to be hoped, however, that Laura Marling would trump it big with their latest album. Had she not been convinced by their previous works and the bar in British folk circles placed very high. With ONCE I WAS AN EAGLE they can now return their competition light years. The petite, fragile-looking, only twenty-three-composed and boldly interpreted without blinkers and without looking at commercial stereotypes at a level that it now puts on a par with the greats of their trade. It combines the intellectual transmission of a Joni Mitchell with the mellow ripeness of Laura Nyro and the bold extravagance of Tim Buckley.

It demands the full attention of the listener, and then rewarded them with an intense listening experience. She does not care about conventions, expectations and marketing strategies, but takes the liberty, unfiltered realize their musical visions.

So go the first four songs (TAKE THE NIGHT OFF; I WAS AN EAGLE; YOU KNOW and BREATHE) seamless application, which is not necessarily radio friendly, but speaks of courage and individuality. The songs are arranged sparingly, but act not boring, but handy and compact. The instruments are precision of color used, so that they support the flow of compositions. You can hear acoustic guitars, which are interwoven with a piano and roughed up by hand drums. An unobtrusive drums attracts attention before voice and guitar initiate as Zweigestirn the next Part. Bass and drums put scent marks and loosen the predominantly pensive mood on. This intimate songs are alone the artist and the listener.

After the first intense song-block which takes about a quarter of an hour, the senses are sharpened and there with MASTER HUNTER relatively brisk wake-up call. The musicians have acoustic folk-rocking their muscles. Drums and percussion play freely, it rattles and knocks refreshing and the head is clear for further listening experiences. A mix of emotions is on offer, but Laura Marling it goes after all claim not to overwhelm the listener. By cleverly varying one remains curious as to what happens next. And it is doing a lot. LITTLE LOVE CASTER is indistinct and fragile and Devil`s Resting Place atmospheric connects cultures and eras, Orient and Occident, musical past and present. That's universal, limits resolution folk music. INTERLUDE has a 2 minute Ambient-like breather and UNDINE is equally Greenwich Village Folk of the 60s as modern alternative folk. Even with WHERE CAN I DO are memories of the Laurel Canyon West Coast folk awake and THE BAND is quoted because of the scale organ parts. ONCE embodies harmony and warmth and PRAY FOR ME evolves over the course of a repossessed song to a fully instrumented dynamic folk-rock track. WHEN WHERE YOU HAPPY? and LOVE BE BRAVE borrow from the filigree-refined Komponierkunst the psychedelic folk-rock. In the episodic littlebird would even Joni Mitchell and proud with the slowly increasing SAVED THESE WORDS a worthy finale is set. The inventiveness of the album is enormous and it requires several Hördurchgänge to be identified comprehensively can.

Laura Marling is part of the spearhead of a new introverted, intellectual folk scene in England and sets with ONCE I WAS AN EAGLE new quality standards.