Patterns in Repeat is not the first time Laura Marling has written music for her child, but it is the first time she’s done so as a mother. 2020’s Song for Our Daughter was directed at an idea, and as such rippled with possibility. Its successor is a far more grounded thing, recorded in snatched half hours and imbued with considered, lived experience.
From the opening moments of Child of Mine, which begin with the domestic sounds of the musician setting up as her daughter burbles in the background, Marling invites us into a world that is gentle and nurturing. There are no drums. Most tracks are acoustically plucked, with minimal backing. Everything is centred around the sort of meditative, richly felt sentiment that’s almost physically tangible.
Patterns gazes warmly back at the generations of women before her, towards the next that she herself has borne; Looking Back is a peaceful acceptance of what the end of life might look like; Lullaby, meanwhile, is exactly that – a simple sleep song, sung to her child. Patterns in Repeat considers weighty topics – heritage, lineage and what we pass down – and strips them down to small understandings and wisdoms. It’s an extraordinarily tender accomplishment.