Laura Marling, O2 Academy, Glasgow
Five stars
Jonathan Geddes
It may not be on the level of Dylan going electric, but Laura Marling's transformation has been significant. Disillusioned with music, her newest record, Short Movie, pushes towards blues and alt-rock, a far cry from before. It's a change carried out with power, with a three-piece backing band providing a meaty backdrop of noise.
Yet the most striking change was simply her confidence. The 25-year-old may never be a wild onstage raconteur, but there was a looseness there that she's not always had, whether dealing with a fluffed intro to What He Wrote easily, or cracking up at an unfortunately tuneless audience member's attempts to join in with the quiet, melancholy Goodbye England.
That tune was one of a smattering that reverted to just Marling, poised at the front of the stage, letting her gorgeous vocal shine. It is a stunning tool, but her new onstage dynamics are letting it go in different directions - the delivery on the exhilarating Master Hunter was rapid-fire, and Strange carried an Americana lilt.
Older numbers were mostly retooled for added forcefulness, and the result was a set that hung together well, from a stunning opening segment that weaved together five songs with balletic grace, to the squealing blues guitar and thunderous drums of I Feel Your Love and tougher, sturdier versions of Rambling Man and Sophia.
False Hope's anger was matched by a propulsive tune, and a cover of Blues Run The Game provided stripped-back shade. Behind Marling all night was a backdrop of the California desert that went from sunshine to darkness as the set progressed. Whatever the hue of Marling's music, she possesses substantial class.
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