The indie songstress has released a new video for “False Hope” to help promote the upcoming March release of her new album Short Movie.
The video features Marling in an all white ensemble that matches the immaculate sheen of her guitar, as well as her died blonde hair. The setup is traditional enough—focus on the singer playing with the band in the back ground, nothing fancy—but Marling’s look seems somehow to sterilize the proceedings. It also matches with the echoing, decaying, barely-there sound of her guitar, though it clashes with the brave and confident vocals that she clearly enunciates while looking directly into the camera.
Her vocals in conjunction with her lyrics, portray a harrowing tale of misplaced love in modern city living. Just looking at the second verse will give you some indication of the depressing conditions Marling bewails:
A storm hits the city and the lights go out
Before I can prepare
The whole downtown looks dark like no one lives there
We stay in the apartment on the upper west side
And my worst problem is I don’t sleep at night
Woman downstairs just lost her mind,
And I don’t care how, I surely don’t care why
Why I know false hope
By the time the full band kicks in, Marling’s uncertain guitar and devil-may-care vocals are supported by a thumping, impassioned rhythm section that give the morose song a sudden and unexpected rocking vibe. The lead guitarist prevents things from getting too macho, though, authoring prickling echo-drenched lines that stab through Marling’s strums.
The impressive new song and video comes on the back of news that Marling is releasing her fifth album in seven years, Short Film, on March 24th. Though the record will drop just shy of the two year anniversary of her releasing the Mercury Prize-nominated album Once I Was an Eagle, fans of the English song writer are certainly glad to have as much as they can get.
According to a press release from record label Ribbon Music:
Short Movie sees Marling moving into new musical territory and may surprise fans with its prevalence of electric guitar. Along with plugging in for the first time, Marling chose to produce the album herself. She pushed her band to record live and insisted the string players perform “blind”, only hearing each track once before recording their parts. The result is a far bigger, bolder and looser sounding album than any of its predecessors.
While she waits for the album to come out, Marling has been getting by with a little help from her friends. For instance, she will be featured on the new Beck Song Reader Project collection with her song “Sorry.” She also joined the “Colin Oberst + Friends” bill which played the WFUV Holiday Cheer Benefit this past December.
Marling has also appeared live recently, such as when she debuted her song “Strange” in London this January. She was also selected for SXSW’s Sixth Round of Showcased Performers, meaning that her fans will be able to easily access her as she ramps up her album promotion.
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