This follow-up to Laura Marling’s critically-lauded second effort ‘I Speak Because I Can’ was initially promised for September last year. Delays like this are generally not a good sign, conjuring visions of an artist in crisis or, worse still, stasis. Playing it safe musically, however, is not on Marling’s agenda; ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’ finds her flirting with Americana and Jazz and pushing her vocal range; reminiscent of the glorious Gillian Welch when she goes low, and unmistakably influenced by Joni Mitchell in her lilting, melodic flights. The songwriting is less straightforward too, as Marling plays with structure to enchanting effect – particularly on the merry-go-round refrain of opener ‘The Muse’ and standouts ‘I Was Just A Card’ and ‘Sophia’. Stories of deities and myths are cloaked throughout in a plush cloak of acoustic guitars, strings, woodwind, brass and rumbling drums; there’s a familiar and compelling dark undercurrent to her sound that simmers and, for the first time, spills out in the growling riffs of ‘Salinas’ before finally exploding in ‘The Beast’’s visceral climax. Not as instantly loveable as its predecessor, ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’ is a more sophisticated and complex creation, and as a result needs repeated listening and unpicking before it starts making sense. Give it your time, however, and it’s more than worth the wait.

Camilla Pia