Laura Marling – Goodbye England (Covered in Snow) (2009)

Virgin
Buy: 7″ | iTunes

I originally heard Laura Marling perform this song on a Youtube video, a year before she released it officially (see below). Performing at the amazing folk collective Communion Christmas show, this glimpse into what would be her incredible second record left me in awe. It then popped up on the BBC in a live set about a month before the official single was released, and if you hunt that one down, you will not be disappointed. The official single is a one-sided 7″, and extremely limited. If you are a collector, you would do yourself a favor to hunt it down. The same version can be found on her sophomore release, I Speak Because I Can, as well as a live version on the 2-CD deluxe edition of Creature I Don’t Know and the Live from York Minster 2LP release.

I have to say… perhaps my #1 Christmas release wish, is for Communion to put out a nice live recording of one of these shows…

Bottom Line: A classic. 5/5