Laura Marling sings in a clear, expressive voice that swoops birdlike from a dusky croon to a wry sing-speak. “The Muse,” which opens her third album, the adventurous A Creature I Don’t Know, may be the best showcase yet for that impressive vocal range: She sings most lines forcefully, exerting herself over the full folk accompaniment, then sings-speaks the last line of each stanza—more like an actor than a musician. It’s a simple yet powerful technique, one that adds drama to the song and gives this 21-year-old artist a presence and authority that may belie her age. MORE
