Sometimes words can’t do justice to the beauty music can evoke. You have to experience it for yourself. At the very least, I don’t consider myself a good enough writer to do so. Tonight at the Sydney Opera House brings me one such moment, where UK songstress Laura Marling embraced a sold out crowd performing her latest record A Creature I Don’t Know in full (for the first time), and a second set of favourites from her first two records.
While on paper it’s hard to believe that the recently turned twenty two year old has already released three albums, those familiar with her music would, by now, be surprised by very little. From the first time you hear her voice and capture her lyrics, you know you’ve stumbled onto something truly special, with the young singer evoking talent far beyond her years; a maturity that sits her more with people of the generations before her than her own. Once you have the opportunity to see her live, that talent is so well articulated that indeed you stop ever expecting anything less than wonderment.
Sticking solely to the acoustic guitar (without picks, I might add), Laura wasted no time jumping into her latest record with opening track “The Muse”. But it wasn’t long before she got chatty with the crowd, admitting she was nervous, but full of plenty of facts… she revealed the track “I Was Just A Card” was written in our “beautiful country” Australia on her last trip down here (which was why, she said, the track was so “jazzy”). She also explored quotes from Thomas Jefferson, revealed “Alas I Cannot Swim” was inspired by ancient Iranian folk poetry, and a message from her mother that reminded her to: “for Gods sake, remember to smile!”
Laura’s backing band was a five piece ensemble, beautifully expanding the universe of her music with a double bass, cello, piano, ukulele, banjo, electric guitar, drums, a mandolin and of course backing vocals. Together they wove through the tapestry that is her latest record (“Sophia” being my personal favourite), and after pausing for a small interval, they returned to play tracks off Alas, I Cannot Swim and I Speak Because I Can – as well as one unreleased track which Laura admitted she added in for “self-indulgence” and to “live on the edge” – all performed with an amazing since of detail and precision. The influences of country, folk and rock were all at play here, though there’s a certain air to it all that makes it uniquely Laura.
But like I said before, one really shouldn’t be surprised by the perfection, nor the uniqueness of her craft. This is a young talent who deserves all the accolades she received, but is adorably humbled by it, seemingly surprised we all stuck around to the end.
Before leaving the stage without an encore (recognizing their need to be spontaneous, which would have put a smile on Bernard Zuel’s face – and unfortunately the standing ovation did not warrant one), Laura admitted she wouldn’t forget this night anytime soon, and I doubt anyone in the room would be able to say anything different. This was one very special night of music indeed…
SETLIST:
The Muse
I Was Just a Card
Don’t Ask Me Why
Salinas
The Beast
Night After Night
My Friends
Rest in the Bed
Sophia
All My Rage
—
Ghosts
My Manic And I
Alas I Cannot Swim
(New Song)
Covered In Snow
Rambling Man
Alpha Shallows
What He Wrote
I Speak Because I Can
Photo taken in Melbourne by Perri Cassie. Sydney photos online soon!
