Laura Marling: Crowd charmer

There seems to be a number of DePaul students who are not familiar with Laura Marling, and that truly is a shame. The English singer and songwriter released her third studio album, "A Creature I Don't Know," this month; the album is receiving high praise amongst critics and fans alike.

Marling may better be known as being an early member of Noah and the Whale; her voice can be heard on the band's first album, "Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down." Some of you may know her better as Marcus Mumford's, of Mumford and Sons, ex-girlfriend.

Performing at Lincoln Hall on Thursday with opening act Alessi's Ark, Marling proved that her name is certainly one worth noting. The opening band, with their mellow and folk-driven sound, excelled at setting the tone of the evening. By the volume of applause from the audience, it appeared that most approved of the band's set and the lead singer's nervous humor.

Lincoln Hall is known for their incredibly clear sound, which attracts many acoustic-based artists and bands. Sound is a very important factor to live shows, because most audiences anticipate the music—especially the lead singer's voice—to sound almost identical to what they hear on albums. Rarely does this happen. Marling, however, sounded better than she does on her albums.

The singer, with her slender figure and angelic hair, took the stage with her three band members. She opened with "Rambling Man," proclaiming, "Let it always be known that I was who I am." She kept up the tempo from her first song with numbers such as "Alas I Cannot Swim" and "Ghosts." Marling, flashing her striking smile, appeared extremely delighted as the audience sang along to "Ghosts."

She made it clear at the beginning of the show that, although she loves to talk, she does not carry conversation well while performing. Instead, she likes stating facts. For instance, she opened up "I Was Just a Card" by telling the audience that she filmed the music video for the song in Chicago that afternoon. The dancers in the video were in the audience and shouted with enthusiasm. Later in the show she told the audience that while in Chicago she discovered that Intelligentsia is the best coffee she has had in the States.

Highlights from the show included "The Muse," a folk-dance song that appears on her latest album. "Hope in the Air" echoed beautifully across the audience. "Night After Night," a melancholic breakup song, brought the venue to sheer silence, and a cover of Neil Diamond's "Captain Sunshine," had Marling declaring half-way through, "This is a disaster." She concluded the evening with "I Speak Because I Can" and "All My Rage," the latter as her encore.

For those of you who haven't heard her sound, Marling's newest album, as well as her previous works, is available on iTunes and Spotify.