Laura Marling

On the penultimate track of her latest LP, “I Speak Because I Can,” British singer-songwriter Laura Marling issues a careful admonition to those who wish to grow up too quickly. “You deal with God far too young / Before you know it, your life has run away,” the sage 20-year-old cautions, seemingly wistful of her own life’s rapid passing. But after listening to Marling’s latest album, one may end up hoping that, in fact, her musical career has just begun. A gratifying sophomore release from the precocious folk-rock talent, “I Speak Because I Can” endows Marling’s characteristic elegance with a new intensity and an epic, almost theatrical, vigor.

Perhaps the most outstanding change Marling adds to her signature full-bodied vocals, melodic guitar, and poetic lyricism is the pronounced intensity which characterizes much of her new release. “Devil’s Spoke,” for example, opens the album with an impassioned interpretation of religious folk music. Slow, hypnotizing bass lines, deep male background vocals, and thumping drums endow a frantic banjo, as well as Marling’s voice and guitar, with a sheer power new to Marling’s work. And when she issues such commands as “Hold your devil by his spoke / And spin him to the ground,” Marling’s lyrics also prove to wield an impressive force. Such compelling arrangements have an energizing effect, and the track is a telling precursor to the other particularly invigorating songs on “I Speak Because I Can.”

Similarly, fifth track “Alpha Shallows” represents a new level of passion in Marling’s repertoire. The song begins tamely enough: at first, only a soft, yet urgent acoustic guitar and quiet, staccato strings support Marling’s voice as she sings such characteristically poetic lyrics as “And his heart was full of fire at the man he had become / And his soul was seldom higher with the falsities of fun.” But the song gradually intensifies, boasting, at its climax, full choral accompaniment, deep, forceful piano chords, and the dramatic rumble of orchestral percussion. With a switch to a major key near the end, the song’s brooding quality eventually gives way to a lighter tone, but its passion is maintained. The track ends on a truly epic note, as the full choir’s harmony and the percussion’s deep rumblings ascend to a point of almost religious fervor.

In a different vein, “I Speak Because I Can” also contains some less complex songs which represent Marling’s calmer side. The second track, “Made By Maid” is unique on the album in its simplicity. The track features only Marling’s vocals and guitar, and because of its spare quality, her gorgeous voice and poignant storytelling are able to stand out. The song testifies to Marling’s ability to tell tales well beyond the scope of the average 20-year-old, convincingly recounting the experience of a woman who “found a babe atop a log and all alone / Took him under, took him on.” “Made By Maid” provides a calming respite from the grandeur of the more intense numbers, and impresses with its unadorned elegance.

Still, the best tracks are the more dynamic ones. Wisely chosen as the album’s first single, “Rambling Man” is the most invigorating number on the record. As the track progresses, several layers of instrumentation pile on top of the initially bare, yet solid base of acoustic guitar strumming and vocals. The combination of these elements, which include cheerful banjo melodies, steadfast drums and electric guitar, lend the track a sense of robustness and complexity, and their effect is truly satisfying. Additionally, Marling’s vocals seem to achieve a rare level of abandon on “Rambling Man.” In the middle and final parts of the song when the instrumental elements reach their peak of volume and passion, Marling’s voice mirrors them by taking on a surprising strength, reaching alternately lower and higher than her usual range. Taken together, these features make for one of the best, strongest songs on an already exceptional album.

As Marling herself intimates on the album’s sixth track, “Goodbye England,” this young artist is gifted enough to become a permanent fixture, rather than some fleeting sensation, of the indie folk-rock scene: “I’m too good for that,” she sings, “there’s a mind under this hat.” And her sophomore release, “I Speak Because I Can,” only corroborates the fact. The new LP proves that Marling’s successful debut album, “Alas, I Cannot Swim,” was certainly not a fluke, and that her songwriting skill is the genuine article. “I Speak Because I Can” is an intense, dynamic, and admirable release from the young singer-songwriter, and merits her the sincerest recognition as an upcoming and formidable talent.