Laura Marling
Songs for our Daughters
Album Review
The beautifully progressive seventh studio album from singer-songwriter Laura Marling reveals an aged wisdom. Through her acoustic guitar, eloquent melodies and winding narratives, Songs for our Daughters expresses a deep desire to protect and arm the next generation of young women.
ritish born Marling’s 8-tracks soulfully demands our young daughters question the bullshit they might be told as they strive throughout their lives. The title track rethinks what the older generation of women put up with, and what we need to do to change this. “With your clothes on the floor, taking advice from some old balding bore. You’ll ask yourself, did I want this at all?” Marling questions.
Like much of the album, which was released four months early due to Covid-19, Marling is commanding a shift of our perspective. Alexandra laments the greatest of female taboos – walking away from family – in search of your own adventure. The song is partly a response to Leonard Cohen’s 2001 Alexandra Leaving. In his version, the protagonist serves as a vessel to his feelings. In this contemporary shift, Alexandra “pulls her sock up to her knees.” She “finds diamonds in the drain. One more diamond to add to her chain.“ A notable rethink to the female perspective, perhaps also a nod to all the men Alexandra collects along her journey.
Like much of the album, which was released four months early due to Covid-19, Marling is commanding a shift of our perspective. Alexandra laments the greatest of female taboos – walking away from family – in search of your own adventure. The song is partly a response to Leonard Cohen’s 2001 Alexandra Leaving. In his version, the protagonist serves as a vessel to his feelings. In this contemporary shift, Alexandra “pulls her sock up to her knees.” She “finds diamonds in the drain. One more diamond to add to her chain.“ A notable rethink to the female perspective, perhaps also a nod to all the men Alexandra collects along her journey.
Fortune too follows in this vein of escapism. Inspired by her mother who kept a secret stash of money, in case she needed to run away from her family. “She told me she kept it for running away. Oh my, fortunes can change.” The idea of escape is made possible, even acceptable here – though neither she, nor her mother did ever run.
The album – much of which was inspired by albums of the 70s – is also interspersed with odes to love. The End of the Affairhas a close affinity to the singularity of Paul McCartney’s Blackbird of 1968. Even here in her love song, Marling is strong and defiant, ready and willing to live her life on her terms. “Shake hands and say goodnight. I love you, goodbye. Now let me live my life. “
Songs for our Daughters is a pared back and exposed album for 30-year-old Marling, with her exquisitely played acoustic guitar and melodies that weave and dive through important and timely narrative sentiments. A successful quest to explore what it means to be a woman today, and an investigation into how best to raise our next generation. "I love you my strange girl, my lonely girl, my angry girl, my brave..."
The album – much of which was inspired by albums of the 70s – is also interspersed with odes to love. The End of the Affairhas a close affinity to the singularity of Paul McCartney’s Blackbird of 1968. Even here in her love song, Marling is strong and defiant, ready and willing to live her life on her terms. “Shake hands and say goodnight. I love you, goodbye. Now let me live my life. “
Songs for our Daughters is a pared back and exposed album for 30-year-old Marling, with her exquisitely played acoustic guitar and melodies that weave and dive through important and timely narrative sentiments. A successful quest to explore what it means to be a woman today, and an investigation into how best to raise our next generation. "I love you my strange girl, my lonely girl, my angry girl, my brave..."