17.

Laura Marling
I Speak Because I Can

A record the underlines Laura Marling’s unquestionable talent and sees her developing as a songwriter, guitarist and singer. There is an added darkness to I Speak Because I Can which wasn’t there on Alas, I Cannot Swim. There is also an increased confidence and sense of purpose. The larger, fuller sound (with the addition of numerous extra musicians, playing everything from a banjo to a harp) is also a leap forward. It’s perhaps odd, then, when all’s said and done, that I don’t actually like this record as much as its predecessor. That’s partly due, I’m sure, to the fact that I didn’t know anything about Marling prior to buying Alas, I Cannot Swim on a whim, whereas this second offering came with a degree of expectation. But it is also because, while these songs are probably objectively stronger, Alas, I Cannot Swim had a fragile beauty (a certain sense of innocence), which seems absent from this record. When I Speak Because I Can works best, on tracks like ‘Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)’ or the closing title track, it’s because things are stripped down to the bones of the song where Marling’s songwriting can flourish. It’s still a great record, and one well worthy of a place on this list. Equally, I would have hoped for at least top 10 prior to its release.