Laura Marling's third album, "A Creature I Don't Know," has been highly anticipated ever since she started recording it. After bringing innovative style and attitude to the singer−songwriter scene with her first two albums, Marling faced real pressure of following up with something just as good, if not better.
Once known for rejuvenating the London folk scene alongside Noah and the Whale and Mumford and Sons, Marling struck out on her own after a messy break−up with Noah and the Whale's frontman Charlie Fink. If her two successful albums are any indication, it is evident that Marling belongs in a level all her own.
"A Creature I Don't Know" has a more American vibe than the folksy sounds of "I Speak Because I Can" (2010) and "Alas, I Cannot Swim" (2008). The song "Salinas," for example, is a Steinbeck−influenced homage to the West Coast.
The first track on the album, "The Muse," is an upbeat, guitar−strumming tune with a bluesy twist. From the onset, Marling is clearly indicating a change in her style and the maturation of her sound. It isn't just her voice that has developed; her lyrics deal with solemn topics, including the battle of wills, good versus bad and creatures that lurk in the dark. Gone are the fanciful tales of whimsy recorded on "Alas, I Cannot Swim." Adulthood is a scary concept that Marling aims to tackle head−on.
The potency and cheer of the first songs on the album ends at "Night after Night," where Marling demonstrates the strength of her songwriting and voice through a melancholy ballad that borders on eerie through its dark themes. "My Friends" is another measured track that builds up through spiraling tone−shifts and an unusually poignant banjo. On "The Beast," Marling sings, "Instead I got the beast/ And tonight he lies with me," indicating her coming−to−terms with her individuality. Her sophisticated mindset has made her music darker and more volatile than on previous albums.
"Rest in the Bed" is where the album picks up again; though the track features haunting backing vocals and a slow, sad guitar, the mood shifts later in the song. Marling laments, "All that I have are these bones/And all that I want is a home." That refrain later transforms to a more resiliently sung, "Rest in the bed of my bones."
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment in the album where the mood is realized, but on "Sophia," Marling displays a sharp grasp of the limits of her voice — there are hardly any — and her ability to mix and match genres like it's the easiest thing in the world. Her fixation on bluesy Western style reaches its pinnacle about three−quarters of the way into "Sophia," when the song suddenly turns into an upbeat, lively tune.
From that track on, the mood pivots. "Sophia," alongside "All My Rage," transforms the tender, melancholy and almost bitter album into something sweeter, more confusing and packed with infinite talent.
Laura Marling released her first album at the young age of 19, and at the time, her music appeared to be far beyond her years. However, in comparison to this album, "Alas, I Cannot Swim" seems naive and far too full of innocent hope. "A Creature I Don't Know" is still optimistic, but carries with it an adult perspective and a far deeper understanding of her own ability.
