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Marling has enjoyed quite a year. Released back in February, her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim received excellent reviews and was later nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Quite an achievement for an 18-year old folkie, although of course she was never going to win the Mercury because of her chosen genre.
Lifted from Alas, I Cannot Swim, the brooding love ballad Night Terror is a fine example of her precocious songwriting gifts. While the source of the protagonist's terror is never clear, Marling's lyrics convey a suitably gothic atmosphere that keys into the best traditions of folk song.
There are some wonderful production touches here, from the eerie jangle of a tambourine as the song builds to the scratchy violin solo that draws it to a close. Marling's voice has never been better, conveying a melancholic mood far beyond her years. Even Kate Bush didn't sound this convincing at the same stage in her career. High praise indeed.
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