Laura Marling // Goodbye England (Covered In Snow) // 14.12.09 // Virgin
In the midst of the many that have heard Laura Marling and fell slightly in love, I’ve always been one to stand back and adopt my (fairly frequent) ‘not completely convinced’ expression. ‘But why?’ asks the amazing-major-label-folk-music-specialist….well, it’s because it’s become far too common to rely on a seemingly appealing/sellable formula of (particularly female) singer-songwriters, where an enchanting voice and innocent charm outweighs any significant musical substance. In other words, delicate doesn’t always mean decent.
A relief with this comeback single then, as it has a grace and style musically and melodically that has made my eyebrows raise to form a more ‘by no means completely unconvinced either’ expression.
Although still with a firm nod to the colloquial beauty of Beth Orton or on-form Martha Wainwright, an effectively subtle backing vocal coupled with a nice string arrangement means the song demonstrates a craft that allows Laura to stand out more than most.
It could find its way under everyone’s skin, including mine.
7/10
By Spencer Betts
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