Many have fallen under the spell of British singer-songwriter Laura Marling.  We have been resistant, not really hooking into the hoopla for her (mostly) plaintive songs and delivery.  But in a recent Ryan Adams interview Adams said that Marling’s 2010 album “I Speak Because I Can” (2010 Mercury Prize winner) left him “reeling.”  That got our attention.

And then we stumbled upon her recent performances on WNYC’s Spinning Air program.  We’re still waiting to be completely won over by Marling (former Noah and the Whale member) and her music, but the videos below don’t hurt her cause with us.  At a minimum, she has a way with words, and her right hand certainly knows what it’s doing around a classical guitar.  To our ears, Marling can cleave a little too close to certain seminal female influencers (Joni Mitchell in particular–you’ll hear it in her vibrato on Night after Night below), but we’ll listen with more open ears from here on out.

Check out Marling performing three songs (Night After Night, Sophia, and I Was Just a Card) off of her new album “A Creature I Don’t Know,” and then a brand new untitled song that planes the refrain “Pray for Me.“