Laura Marling

Short Movie (Ribbon Music)

Laura Marling’s rise as British folk heroine was rapid and well-earned, with three of her first four albums garnering Mercury Prize nominations. Creative burnout then set in as the 25-year-old songwriter moved to L.A., but she re-emerges with some of the darkest, most exploratory material of her career. “I’m taking more risks now, I’m stepping out of line” she declares on “How Can I.” Opener “Warrior” rolls with twisted psychedelic folk, atmospheric and harrowing, while “False Hope” bites between Aimee Mann and Sharon Van Etten. Short Movie strikes cynically playful at times, like the spitting, spoken send-off “Strange” and the almost Dire Straits rhythm of “Gurdjieff’s Daughter,” but also burns with introspective doubt on “Walk Alone” and the Joni Mitchell-esque “I Feel Your Love.” Marling’s fingerpicking still marvels, but the low blues of “Howl” and the title track’s aggressive drone shade with bleaker hues. (Thu., 1am, Mohawk Outdoor; Fri., 8:45pm, St. David’s Historic Sanctuary)

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This article appears in March 20 • 2015.

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