Laura Marling, Roundhouse

From the day Laura Marling released Alas, I Cannot Swim (2008), it was clear she was something special. Although recorded at the age of seventeen, that album introduced a voice of startling emotional maturity, with a world-weary huskiness and lyrical ingenuity untapped by most of her contemporaries. Her guitar, which effortlessly switched between silkiness and thorniness, expressed every facet of youthful love, guided along by compulsively gorgeous melodies. Although then associated with a clutch of male contemporaries – Johnny Flynn, Noah and the Whale, Mumford & Sons – her music had already reached another plane.

Her subsequent career has left very few disappointed. I Speak Because I Can (2010) saw her delve deeper into entrancing symbolism and folk forms, all the while honing the directness of her vocals. A Creature I Don’t Know (2011) embraced a Southern strut and country sprawl, whilst Once I Was An Eagle (2013) possessed a bedazzling complexity, a new sense of cohesion and even more intimate production. Marling is not merely consistent; she’s consistently honing and expanding her sound, always in search of the perfect music to carry her dense lyrics.

On March 21st, Laura Marling will play at Roundhouse following the release of her sixth studio album, Semper Femina. Her last album, Short Movie was a a headlong dive into folk-rock, with Marling playing electric guitar whilst backed by a three-piece band. The delicate ballads and Neil Young-esque hoedowns were joined by rap-like spoken word and synthesized vocals, with influences as diverse as contemporary music and R&B. Who knows what the new album will bring to the table, but we can bet that she'll be shapeshifting yet again.

Here's the newest release from Marling's Semper Femina, out on 10th March 2017, Soothing:

Tickets for the Roundhouse gig go on sale here at 10am on 8th December 2016.