While the rest of the modern-music world remains locked in an arms race to create even louder loudness, a small cluster of interconnected UK artists is championing a low-decibel revival of raw and traditional folk.

Leading this loose scene of musicians is Laura Marling, former back up vocalist for the folk collective Noah and The Whale. Arguably the most popular and revered of the group (she was recently nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize, similar to our Grammy Awards), she's been making her mark across Europe and in the States with her debut record, Alas I Cannot Swim, a haunting set of pop-folk songs that offer both catharsis and escape.



Alas is surprisingly lush and sophisticated - though it's rooted in the bare music of Joni Mitchell or Nick Drake, it seems more reminiscent of the same left-field pop personified by Feist and her iPod-commercial single "1,2,3,4." As it turns out, Marling is trying to find her creative path in the iTunes era too: her debut album has been out less than two months (eight months in the UK) and she's already itching to release new material. "I so desperately want to share them [her new songs] with everyone," Marling told Buzznet. "I was thinking about doing an EP. I mean, I've got them finished....But then I thought that what I loved about the last album was that it was a complete piece of work. And not much of it had been released before. I think that's a nice thing."

She's not holding the new material back entirely: She's debuted two of the songs live, both on her current tour and on an episode of WNYC's Soundcheck. But there's a twist: the quiet star of British pop-folk is aiming to get even quieter. As revealed on two new songs, "Ramblin Man'" and "Alpha Shallows" demonstrate a surprisingly simple and striking sense of melody. Additionally, the songs are stripped of the complex instrumentation that comprised Alas I Cannot Swim. For Marling, this is an intentional move. "They're all a lot more folky," she explained. "I mean, the last album wasn't really folk, you know? They're a lot more rootsy and quite a bit more basic. There won't be so much instrumentation. Because I really like that kind of Mount Eerie [final record by The Microphones] weird production, really basic almost. And I thought, 'You know, a girl hasn't done that yet.'"

This suggests Marling has a sense of purpose and an even larger sense of self-awareness. And it seems her instincts are telling her to shed not the folk substance (a more routine move), but the pop style of her music. It's almost as if she studied Dylan's embrace of the electric guitar and decided to re-enact it--in reverse.



But none of this should come as a surprise considering her appreciation of old-fashioned physical recordings. Along with Alas, she released The Song Box, a painstakingly crafted edition of the album with wood-cut illustrated cards for each song on the record, in addition to a free ticket to her upcoming tour. "As I started recording [the record], I wanted something special for it. For the people that, you know, want to pay a little extra money," she said. "People have just become complacent towards all the hard work that goes into it. And also, the joy you can get from finally finding a record."

It's precisely this type of dedication towards music that is reflected in the community of artists who comprise the burgeoning folk scene in the UK. It consists of inter-related artists who routinely tour, appear, and record with each other. Charlie Fink, the main force in Noah & The Whale, produced Marling's debut record. Johnny Flynn, an exciting and versatile folk songwriter, is currently on tour with Marling and Mumford and Sons. And Marcus Mumford himself has appeared performing live with both Noah & The Whale.

Their individual styles all show up at one point or another on Alas I Cannot Swim, even if Laura's the only one playing. Opening track "Ghosts" evolves into a full-band anthem, backed by harmonizing male vocals. In a world where pop vocal recordings routinely showcase the main singer only, Marling has chosen to utilize her entire band's voices instead of just her own, similar to Noah & The Whale's style. These folk-choir vocals abound throughout the record, peaking in the middle with the upbeat set of "You're No God" and "Cross Your Fingers/Crawled Out of the Sea."

Alas I Cannot Swim can be purchased on Laura Marling's website or you can add her songs to your Buzznet Library. Buzznet also participated in a Photo Assignment inspired by a lyric in "Ghosts." See how your peers responded!

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