Marika Hackman - I'm Not Your Man

Marika Hackman doesn’t necessarily fit a nice tidy pigeonhole. Maybe you’d like to group her in with Laura Marling, maybe you’d draw similarities between her and The Staves. Hackman is something other, though, and this album really shows that side off. With clean, cyclic melodies, we’re talking more shoegaze than acoustic folk vibes. Marika uses her voice in a way that many other singer-songwriters don’t. It is an instrument, and the effect is an intricate laying which helps establish a properly interesting sound. The opening track, Boyfriend, features Big Moon (you may have seen them support Mystery Jets last year, or at their own set at NAC), Good Intentions is potentially the best record on the album, but the whole album flows well, showing Hackman's growth as an artist. This album sees certainly an edgier, more self-confident Hackman than we heard in her first LP. You’ll want to give I’m Not Your Man more than one listen; the multi-levels to Marika’s songs sometimes mask the wry humour of her lyrics so if you’re not paying attention you might just miss it. 

7/10