FOLK music has become a substantial part of the charts in recent months. From Mumford & Sons to Gabrielle Aplin, the hearty acoustic genre has spat out a whole host of new artists who are gracing the British airwaves.

Fast-becoming one the leaders of the sound is Laura Marling. It’s been five years since the 23-year-old singer-songwriter released her debut album and now she’s back with a brand new record.

Once I Was An Eagle is the songstress’ fourth release. Beautifully bold, stunningly simple and dynamically diverse, the album is undoubtably Marling’s best work yet.

Consisting of superbly written lyrics, tracks such as You Know and Love Be Brave perfectly reflect the singer’s ability to produce sob-into-your-tissue acoustic love ballads.

The raw sound of Where Can I Go? pays homage to the roots of the genre. With an unmistakable country style, the track resembles the likes of Shania Twain and an early Dolly Parton.

One of the best folk releases since the revival of the genre, Once I Wan An Eagle has set the bar high for any artist considering a go at folk music. Hats-off to Laura Marling, what she lacks in age she makes up for in ability...

 

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