THE GREATEST LYRICISTS IN THE WORLD TODAY
Every generation needs its poets and here's the 23 musical scribes who define 2010.
Meanwhile, you can vote for the best lyricists ever here.
Words: Emily Mackay, Matt Wilkinson, Barry Nicolson, Mark Beaumont, Laura Snapes, Dan Martin, Sam Wolfson, Martin Robinson, Jaimie Hodgson
As a 17-year-old Reading teenager, she was compared to Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Now 21, she’s only got better
What makes young Marling’s lyrics so powerful is that their subject-matter, whether the joy of sharing a snowy night or the cold chill of rejection, are powerful and personal. As her songwriting skills have developed, so have the complexity of her emotions.
On her most recent album ‘I Speak Because I Can’, Marling’s songwriting has taken another leap, reinvigorated by the imagery of English folk and the subtlety of small moments exaggerated to big statements.
Underneath a richer, more reflective use of language lies those same raw emotions that make Marling’s work touching as well as authentic. SW
Key lyric: “I roll over and shake him tightly/And whisper/If they want you, then they’re going to have come fight me”
(‘Night Terror’, from ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’, 2008)
Latest Laura Marling News
Laura Marling brings 'Once I Was An Eagle' to Hollywood cemetery
The singer-songwriter played tracks from her new album in Los Angeles last night
Laura Marling to stage 'immersive' live shows with Secret Cinema
Audiences will travel through the 'secret world' of 'Once I Was An Eagle' in east London
- May 21, 2013
Laura Marling streams new album 'Once I Was An Eagle' ahead of official release
The singer-songwriter's fourth album comes out on May 27
- May 20, 2013
More Laura Marling Reviews
Laura Marling & Ryan Adams - 'Oh My Sweet Carolina'
A gorgeous retelling that does some serious justice
- Dec 6, 2011
