March 20, 2017

Laura Marling Croons About Fraught Female Relationships

Her new album “Semper Femina” has as much drama as a great soap opera, but without the dopey clichés.


Laura Marling
Semper Femina
More Alarming

Courtesy of Grandstand Media & Management

Viewed from a distance, the British-born Laura Marling has always played the same familiar role—a woman with a strong voice and acoustic guitar offering pretty songs about love—yet a closer look reveals that predictability to be an illusion. Her previous two albums cast a harsh eye on romance, often preferring untouchable solitude to contact, and the intriguing Semper Femina finds her shifting gears again. Seeking connection, Marling chronicles fraught female relationships marked by need, affection, flawed communication and, above all, burning intensity. While these thoughtful tunes would have worked fine as solo performances, Marling and producer Blake Mills have varied the mix with all manner of effective sonic touches, including the gorgeous strings of “The Valley” and a hazy down-home vibe on “Wild Fire.” Passing the Bechdel test with ease, Semper Femina has as much drama as a great soap opera, but without the dopey clichés.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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