For You - Laura Marling
Toog's Tune of the Day # 9 - December 24, 2024
Its Christmas Eve in Los Angeles and I’m sitting on the 761 bus bound for the Valley. Im the only one on board.
A few years ago the prospect of spending a holiday alone would have made me sad, but these days it feels like a spiritual retreat. I welcome the coming solitude and silence.
So what does one listen to on an empty bus in the evening? I decided to dip into my “Liked Songs” on Spotify for the answer. This a sort of streaming purgatory for me, a place where I store songs before placing them on a playlist.
One track in particular is sticking out to me right now, For You by Laura Marling. It reminds me of (They long to be) Close to You by the Carpenters. Give it a listen.
Laura Marling is a songwriting giant. She is a lesser known Brandi Carlile with the vibrato of Joni Mitchell. Her writing has earned her Grammy and Mercury nominations and a Brit award. She is massively underrated.
Like previous songs I’ve covered, this one inspires nostalgia, which is well-suited for the holidays. This is the season of returning home. For those who cannot or do not return home, it is a time of longing.
Most of Marling’s discography falls into this category. Its made for walks through canopied forests, quiet afternoons by a window, and New England autumns. She’s gifted at balancing minor chords with reserved major resolves, which produces feelings of quiet optimism.
She’s the universe’s answer to Nick Drake.
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Happy holidays everyone. Whatever you’re looking for out there, keep digging.
TOOG OUT.