(Astralwerks)

www.astralwerks.com

Contrast these titles: Alright, Still, Made Of Bricks and Alas I Cannot Swim. The first is a slangy retort and the second a self-assured proclamation, but the last is a somewhat archaic expression of resignation. That gives a sense of the distance between Laura Marling and two other teenage girls from the UK who made their first impact via MySpace.

Unlike sassy Lily Allen and perky Kate Nash, melancholy Marling reveals no interest in hip-hop beats, samples or contemporary consumer culture: she buoys her folkie acoustic guitar with xylophone, pared-down drums, piano and the occasional trumpet, violin or male backing choir. She writes in well-chosen phrases with precocious insight into serious themes — mortality, fleeting fame, a lover’s “Night Terror” — and her shaded, moaning voice places her in the tradition of Beth Orton or Sandy Denny, two other women who looked to folk traditions to find avenues into contemporary emotions. This time the notorious UK press hype is deserved: Marling’s a lass who can write, and play, and sing.

Standout Tracks: “Cross Your Fingers,” “Ghosts” STEVE KLINGE