Listen: Marika Hackman – “Cinnamon” [Premiere]

Marika Hackman furthers her ascent as the leading light of nu-folk today with the release of “Cinnamon” – the first track to be lifted off her forthcoming Sugar Blind EP that arrives hot on the heels of this summer’s mini-album That Iron Taste.

Produced by Charlie Andrews (Alt-J, Famy, Eugene McGuinness), “Cinnamon” marks a bold step away from Hackman’s previous work. Predominantly acoustic with light smatterings of instrumentation, That Iron Taste was built upon a foundation of Syd Barrett-esque wistfulness – the delivery of the songs scratchy, and delightfully rough around the edges.

An otherworldly tone is still at play, but it’s the arrival of a full band backing that really sets “Cinnamon” apart. There are nods to The Shins; Hackman’s playful melodies akin to James Mercer’s finest circa Chutes Too Narrow. Whilst the slightly effected guitar is indebted to Nirvana’s dabbling with torch songs, made famous on their MTV Unplugged performance. It’s far from pastiche though – Hackman is simply playing her influences close to her chest and, in turn, has delivered her most impressive and cohesive song to date.

The Sugar Blind EP is available to pre-order now ahead of its 9 December release date.