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Semper Femina

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Semper Femina

| type = studio

| artist = Laura Marling

| cover = Semper Femina - Laura Marling.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{start date|2017|3|10|df=y}}

| recorded = 2016

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Folk, folk rock, alternative rock

| length = 42:19

| label = More Alarming Records

| producer = Blake Mills

| prev_title = Short Movie

| prev_year = 2015

| next_title = Song for Our Daughter

| next_year = 2020

}}

Semper Femina is the sixth studio album by British singer-songwriter, Laura Marling, and was released on 10 March 2017, on More Alarming Records. The album was produced by Blake Mills. The album's title is taken from the song "Nouel".

Themes

Described by Alexis Petridis of The Guardian as a "concept album about femininity and female relationships", the title Semper Femina, borrowed from the ancient poet Virgil, is an expression from a longer line of Latin poetry, which roughly translates to "woman is ever a fickle and changeable thing".{{Cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2017/03/06/laura-marling-semper-femina-interview-2017|title=This woman's work: Laura Marling|website=DIY}}

Reception

{{Album reviews

| ADM = 8.2/10{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/8526/Laura-Marling-Semper-Femina.aspx|title=Semper Femina by Laura Marling reviews|publisher=AnyDecentMusic?|accessdate=30 August 2019}}

| MC = 85/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/semper-femina/laura-marling|title=Reviews and Tracks for Semper Femina by Laura Marling|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=16 March 2017}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/semper-femina-mw0003004982|title=Semper Femina – Laura Marling|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=12 March 2020|last=Monger|first=Timothy}}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2score = A{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/live/shins-laura-marling-greg-graffin-and-more-weeks-mu-251631/entry/179|title=Semper Femina is Laura Marling at her best|work=The A.V. Club|date=10 March 2017|accessdate=21 March 2017|last=Waite|first=Kelsey J.}}

| rev3 = The Daily Telegraph

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/xx-stormzy-best-albums-year-2017/|title=From Alt-J to The Amazons: the best albums of the year 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=1 June 2017|accessdate=13 October 2018|last=McCormick|first=Neil|author-link=Neil McCormick}}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/09/laura-marling-semper-femina-review-more-alarming|title=Laura Marling: Semper Femina review – telling details and big ideas|work=The Guardian|date=9 March 2017|accessdate=16 March 2017|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis}}

| rev5 = The Independent

| rev5score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-reviews-laura-marling-semper-femina-grandaddy-last-place-alison-krauss-temples-volcano-a7606376.html|title=Album reviews: Laura Marling – Semper Femina, Grandaddy – Last Place, Alison Krauss – Windy City and more|work=The Independent|date=1 March 2017|accessdate=16 March 2017|last=Gill|first=Andy}}

| rev6 = NME

| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/laura-marling-semper-femina-review-2005217|title=Laura Marling – 'Semper Femina' review|journal=NME|date=7 March 2017|accessdate=12 December 2019|last=Bartleet|first=Larry}}

| rev7 = The Observer

| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/12/laura-marling-semper-femina-review|title=Laura Marling: Semper Femina review – sexism and a newfound slinkiness|work=The Guardian|date=12 March 2017|accessdate=21 March 2017|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8score = 7.7/10{{cite journal|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22949-semper-femina/|title=Laura Marling: Semper Femina|journal=Pitchfork|date=March 14, 2017|accessdate=March 21, 2017|last=Monroe|first=Jazz}}

| rev9 = Q

| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal|title=Fantastic Voyage|journal=Q|issue=370|date=April 2017|last=Barton|first=Laura|page=113}}

| rev10 = Rolling Stone

| rev10score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/review-laura-marlings-semper-femina-w471851|title=Review: Laura Marling Sings Woman-to-Woman on 'Semper Femina'|journal=Rolling Stone|date=13 March 2017|accessdate=21 March 2017|last=Hermes|first=Will|author-link=Will Hermes}}

}}

Semper Femina received critical acclaim upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 85, based on 31 reviews.

The album earned Marling a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album nomination.

=Accolades=

In The Village Voice{{'}}s Pazz & Jop, a poll regarding the best albums of the year as voted by more than 400 American music critics, Semper Femina tied with Valerie June's The Order of Time (2017) at the 89th spot, both LPs garnering 84 points.

class="sortable plainrowheaders wikitable"
Publication

! Accolade

! Rank

! class="unsortable"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|The A.V. Club

| The Best Albums of 2017 So Far

| {{N/A}}

| {{center|{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-albums-of-2017-so-far-1798288264|title=The Best Albums of 2017 So Far|work=The A.V. Club|date=29 June 2017|access-date=23 February 2018}}}}

scope="row"|ABC News

|50 Best Albums of 2017

|{{center|31}}

|{{center|Raible, Allan (27 December 2017). [https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/50-best-albums-2017/story?id=51940805 "50 best albums of 2017"]. ABC News. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|AllMusic

|Best of 2017

|{{N/A}}

|{{center|[https://www.allmusic.com/year-in-review/2017/allmusic-best-of-2017 "Best of 2017"]. AllMusic. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Consequence of Sound

| Top 50 Albums of 2017

| {{center|27}}

| {{center|[https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/12/top-50-albums-of-2017/3/ "Top 50 Albums of 2017"]. Consequence of Sound. 26 December 2017. p. 2. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Digital Trends

| 50 Best Albums of 2017

| {{center|46}}

| {{center|Hall, Parker (2 December 2017). [https://www.digitaltrends.com/music/best-albums-2017/ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017"]. Digital Trends. p. 1. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Drowned in Sound

|Favourite Albums of 2017

| {{center|9}}

| {{center|{{cite web|url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4151506-drowned-in-sounds-favourite-albums-of-2017|title=Favourite Albums of 2017|work=Drowned in Sound|last=Adams|first=Sean|date=3 December 2017|accessdate=22 February 2018|archive-date=23 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123140446/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4151506-drowned-in-sounds-favourite-albums-of-2017|url-status=dead}}}}

scope="row"|Earbuddy

| 100 Best Albums of 2017

| {{center|74}}

| {{center|[http://www.earbuddy.net/70003/earbuddys-100-best-albums-of-2017.html/albums-of-the-year "100 Best Albums of 2017"]. Earbuddy. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Esquire (UK Edition)

| 50 Best Albums of 2017

| {{N/A}}

| {{center|Ovenden, Olivia (7 December 2017). [https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a12802/best-new-albums-2017/ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2017"]. Esquire. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"| Exclaim!

| Top 10 Folk and Country Albums of 2017

| {{center|3}}

| {{center|{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/exclaim_s_top_10_folk_and_country_albums-best_of_2017/page/2|title=Top 10 Folk and Country Albums of 2017|work=Exclaim!|date=4 December 2017|accessdate=9 January 2018}}}}

scope="row"| Fopp

| The Best in 2017

| {{center|23}}

| {{center|[http://www.fopp.com/bestalbums2017/ "The Best of 2017: Albums"]. Fopp Official Website. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|The Guardian

| The Best Albums of 2017

| {{center|19}}

| {{center|[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/dec/05/the-best-albums-of-2017 "The best albums of 2017: the full list"]. The Guardian. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Mojo

| 2017: The Best of the Year

| {{center|25}}

| {{center|[https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/mojo-290-january-2018 "290 / January 2018"]. Mojo. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|musicOMH

| Top 50 Albums Of 2017

| {{center|26}}

| {{center|Hubbard, Michael (22 December 2017). [https://www.musicomh.com/features/lists/musicomhs-top-50-albums-2017 "Top 50 Albums Of 2017"]. musicOMH. Retrieved 23 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Noisey

| The 100 Best Albums of 2017

| {{center|76}}

| {{center|[https://www.vice.com/en/article/noisey-100-best-albums-of-2017/ "The 100 Best Albums of 2017"] . Noisey. 6 December 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"| NME

| NME{{'}}s Albums of the Year 2017

| {{center|49}}

| {{center|{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/list/nmes-albums-of-the-year-2017-2161481|title=NME's Albums of the Year 2017|work=NME|date=23 November 2017|accessdate=28 November 2017}}}}

scope="row"|No Ripcord

| The Best Albums of 2017

| {{center|34}}

| {{center|[http://www.noripcord.com/features/best-albums-2017 "The Best Albums of 2017"]. No Ripcord. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Paste

| The 50 Best Albums of 2017

| {{center|31}}

| {{center|[https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/11/the-50-best-albums-of-2017.html?p=5 "The 50 Best Albums of 2017"]. Paste. Wolfgang's Vault. 27 November 2017. p. 5. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Q

| Best of the Best: 2017 in Music

| {{center|42}}

| {{center|[https://www.qthemusic.com/articles/when-liam-met-ed-the-new-issue-out-on-tuesday "When Liam Met Ed... The New Issue, Out On Tuesday"]. Q. Retrieved 22 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|The Sydney Morning Herald

| Top 20 Albums of 2017

| {{N/A}}

| {{center|Mathieson, Craig (14 December 2017). [https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/going-farther-20-of-the-albums-that-mattered-most-in-2017-20171207-h00u0g.html "Top 20 albums of 2017: From proven stars to those starting out "]. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 February 2018.}}

scope="row"| Treble

| The Top 50 Albums of 2017

| {{center|45}}

| {{center|[http://www.treblezine.com/37873-top-50-albums-of-2017/ "The Top 50 Albums of 2017"]. Treble. 8 December 2017. p. 1. Retrieved 23 February 2018.}}

scope="row"|Uncut

|Best Releases of 2017

| {{center|21}}

|{{center|[http://www.uncut.co.uk/publication/uncut/january-2018 "January 2018"]. Uncut. Retrieved 23 February 2018.}}

scope="row"| Under the Radar

| Top 100 Albums of 2017

| {{center|58}}

| {{center|{{cite web|url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/lists/under_the_radar_top_100_albums_of_2017/|title=Top 100 Albums of 2017|work=Under the Radar|date=30 December 2017|accessdate=22 February 2018}}}}

scope="row"|The Village Voice

|Pazz & Jop

|{{center|89}}

|{{center|[https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/01/22/pazz-jop-the-top-albums-and-singles-of-2017/ "Pazz & Jop: It's Kendrick's and Cardi's World. We're All Just Living in It."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208092309/https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/01/22/pazz-jop-the-top-albums-and-singles-of-2017/ |date=8 February 2018 }}. The Village Voice. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Laura Marling, except for Soothing which was written by Laura Marling and Blake Mills

| title1 = Soothing

| length1 = 4:18

| title2 = The Valley

| length2 = 5:40

| title3 = Wild Fire

| length3 = 4:50

| title4 = Don't Pass Me By

| length4 = 5:10

| title5 = Always This Way

| length5 = 4:33

| title6 = Wild Once

| length6 = 4:23

| title7 = Next Time

| length7 = 4:00

| title8 = Nouel

| length8 = 4:53

| title9 = Nothing, Not Nearly

| length9 = 4:32

}}

Personnel

Musicians

  • Laura Marling – vocals, guitar
  • Matt Ingram – drums
  • Nick Pini – bass
  • Pete Randall – guitar
  • Blake Mills – guitar
  • Rob Moose – strings, arrangements
  • Matt Chamberlain – additional drums
  • Sebastian Steinberg – additional bass

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (2017)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=http://www.ariacharts.com.au/charts/albums-chart|title=ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|date=20 March 2017|accessdate=18 March 2017}}

| 19

{{album chart|Austria|53|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=23 March 2017}}
{{album chart|Flanders|21|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 March 2017}}
{{album chart|Wallonia|153|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=25 March 2017}}
{{album chart|Netherlands|22|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 March 2017}}
{{album chart|France|113|M|url=http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-album-megafusion/?ye=2017&we=11|title=Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 11, 2017)|publisher=Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=21 March 2017}}
{{album chart|Germany4|42|id=320119|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 March 2017}}
{{album chart|Ireland|9|M|url=http://www.irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Albums|title=Irish Albums Chart: 17 March 2017|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 March 2017}}
scope="row"| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2017-03-17|title=NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=20 March 2017|access-date=17 March 2017}}

| 5

{{album chart|Scotland|4|date=2017-03-17|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 March 2017}}
{{album chart|Switzerland|46|artist=Laura Marling|album=Semper Femina|rowheader=true|accessdate=22 March 2017}}
{{album chart|UK2|5|date=2017-03-17|rowheader=true|accessdate=18 March 2017}}
{{album chart|BillboardAlbumSales|66|artist=Laura Marling|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2024}}

References

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Laura Marling}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2017 albums

Category:Albums produced by Blake Mills

Category:2010s concept albums

Category:Laura Marling albums