Album Review: Marika Hackman – We Slept At Last
We Slept At Last
Released February 16th 2015
Words: Julia Grantham
Markia Hackman is a young female singer-songwriter from the UK, and this: We Slept At Last is her debut album. Only 22, she has been song-writing since she was a teenager, and has toured with the likes of Laura Marling. About to embark on a full UK tour throughout March and April; her album is a beautifully haunting LP, rich in lyricism, poetry, and lends a sense of mystery and intrigue, not least because of her graphic references to the human body. Her vocals have an obvious folk influence and are matched perfectly with the changing tempos and movements of her music. As well as the nod to folk, there is a certain post-rock element to a few of her songs, making the overall sound both ambient and atmospheric; a contemporary touch which combines these two genres in an intriguing way. The mood of the album is melancholy and wistful and yet has a sense of courage and purpose too.
Tracks such as Drown have a feeling of determination, which is combined with a mystical and brooding appeal. It is rich in harmony, using two female voices to enhance its mood and purpose.
The opening of tracks such as Drown and Before I Sleep are clever and enticing, often beginning with just a single note, unwavering, before leading into to the vocals, leaving the listener unsure of how the song will unfold. As the album continues, Hackman’s vocals remain consistent, but we are treated to different musical styles, tempos and moods. For example, Undone, Undress sounds so much more post-rock influenced, almost grungey in places and is a very brooding tale of being exposed and broken, and yet as is present on many of her songs; full of a type of unnerving resilience and determination.
Perhaps the most beautifully haunting song on the album, is the track Skin with its simple guitar, juxtaposed with a post-punk-cum-folk sound, distorting guitars, and yet combined with a trademark folk guitar undercurrent. A wonderfully harmonised duet between male and female vocals, it depicts an unusual tale of love by using the imagery of the human body in a unique and almost grotesque way. Grotesquely beautiful all the same.
The great thing about this debut is that no two songs are the same. Although Hickman’s vocals are constant throughout; her trademark seems to be brooding, melancholy and haunting, AND her musicality is as varied as it is intriguing. Tracks such as Let Me In even make use of a Spanish guitar. Moreover, it is through this clever fusing of genres, as well as using orchestral movements in places such as on the poignant Monday Afternoon, that she merges different tempos and musical styles to great effect. It is surely this, which makes her stand out, head and shoulders above other folk artists. Furthermore, she writes lyrics in a unique and poetic way, often making references to the human body in a graphic, anatomically detailed style, but this only adds to the subtle beauty of her songs.
Marika Hackman is definitely one to watch and 2015 will surely be a year that foresees great things for this young singer-songwriter.
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