As Laura Marling’s three-show solo tour of Australia, in March next year, inches closer, it’s a good time to go back, right back, to her first performances in this country. This review, from August 2008 – when she played three gigs in three days and probably left Australia not certain she’d even been here - features the English singer/songwriter backed by a drummer/singer whose other band did a few things soon after too. It also shows how even in a semi-addled state, the raw

Photo by Prudence Upton. LAURA MARLING Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, June 12 Two years ago, when last she played in this city, the review of Laura Marling’s mesmerising show ended with “And you are not even at the peak of your powers yet. There will be even better nights than this to come.” In many ways, though not unequivocally (more of that in a minute), that prediction was made to look like a statement of the bleeding obvious by another captivating, complicated and ins

LAURA MARLING: CANTANTES LICET USQUE SEMPER FEMINA (Let us go singing Semper Femina) The shorthand version of Laura Marling’s sixth album is it is a record about women – as friends, inspirations, potential lovers, and always as flawed but vital people – by a woman exploring her own sense of femininity. A slightly longer version is that the 27-year-old Marling, a fiercely cerebral songwriter who traverses folk and pop not unlike Joni Mitchell at the same age, began the process

A few days before the arrival of Laura Marling’s sixth album – review right here - Wind Back Wednesday returns to the beginning of this career, in February 2008, as her debut, Alas I Cannot Swim was released. She was 18 and already bloody impressive. A TAP AT HER WINDOW It is tempting to say that Laura Marling leaves a trail of destruction behind her. After all, when your music is a blend of folk and acoustic pop, when Beth Orton and Joni Mitchell are more likely to be menti

LAURA MARLING Semper Femina (Kobalt) Before exploring this sensual, subtle and continually fascinating album – already set to be one of the quiet milestones of 2017 – there’ll be the question: Semper Femina? Well, how’s your Latin? Or, if you can think laterally a bit, your knowledge of American fighting units, specifically the Marines? It doesn’t take a Classics scholar guess that Laura Marling’s new album concerns itself with the feminine. But it’s not quite as you might ex

The best songs of the year? Quite possibly. The songs I played the most, sang the most, enjoyed the most this year? Definitely. Many of them come from collections which will appear on the list of the best/favourite albums of the year. Not surprisingly. All of them exist independently though. Cracking power plays, strong final statements, quite beautiful and sad moments, slinky sensuous grooves and not one sign of Fergie, Meghan Trainor or Shannon Bloody Noll. Instead there’s

Some of these albums floored me with their perfection (Patty Griffin), stunned me with their power (Fuck The Fitzroy Doom Scene) or left me babbling at the brilliance (Kamasi Washington), others continued to foist the words future legend on me (Laura Marling), got me close to tears (Sufjan Stevens), made me think about my own choices (Bjork and Jason Isbell) or sucked me into a weird, dark place (Badbadnotgood & Ghostface Killah). My 20 best albums of the year got me/kept me

The second half of the near impossible task of pulling 50 songs from 50 years. A mad idea, filled with frustrations at all the ones I couldn’t pick. But, yeah, fun nonetheless. 1990: Sonic Youth – Kool Thing The year I finally got Sonic Youth, or they crossed over to my side. Droll, sexy and sung by one of my favourite bassplayers (along with Tina Weymouth, Bruce Thomas, Paul McCartney & Andy Rourke). Found out recently she’s a pretty cool interview too. 1991: Joni Mitchell –