Marina
The Family Jewels


4.0
excellent

Review

by Gyromania USER (57 Reviews)
July 22nd, 2011 | 32 replies


Release Date: 2010 | Tracklist

Review Summary: with her debut, Marina has made it abundantly clear that she’s a force to be reckoned with in the realm of pop, threatening to potentially steal the spotlight in coming years.

2010, the year that renowned artists such as Kanye West, Janelle Monae, Big Boi, etc., rose to the higher echelons of pop music by honing their craft was also the year that we saw the emergence of the wild and quirky Welsh pop singer Marina Diamandis with her album The Family Jewels. Now, The Family Jewels isn’t the genre’s saving grace, but it’s a damn fine debut LP full of glorious pop sheen, propelled by Marina’s idiosyncratic vocal delivery and somewhat unconventional songwriting prowess. Throughout the course of 13 songs Marina grabs the attention of her audience with irresistible pop hooks and choruses so catchy that they nestle in your mind, demanding to be sung along to. Marina plays to her pop sensibilities by borrowing elements from cited influences that range from Kate Bush to Elliott Smith, infusing various musical styles to create something organic and invigorating within a genre notorious for its homogeneity.

The vast majority of songs ride a wave of emphatic happiness; most of them are so bubbly and light-hearted that their dulcet beats are enough to rouse even those apathetic to most pop. Tracks like “Hollywood” challenge some of the finest pop songs of yesteryear, with a piano backing a chorus as Marina flamboyantly sings “Hollywood infected your brain / You wanted kissing in the rain / Living in a movie scene / Puking American dreams.” Its brilliance is somewhat lost in how upbeat and catchy it is, but Marina scintillatingly weaves such irony into tracks and exposes a lot of clichés like this. What’s surprising is how genuine and honest it all comes across, as many pop artists tend to sound detached when approaching the genre. It seems as though British female pop stars have been making a splash in popular music recently and Marina & The Diamonds has cemented herself as one of the better, more distinguishable pop stars to emerge in 2010. Highly recommended for people seeking a contemporary pop album with a keen sense of exceptional songwriting that’s very enjoyable through and through.



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user ratings (353)
3.8
excellent
other reviews of this album
DaveyBoy EMERITUS (4)
Marina is the self-proclaimed fucking wild card of the quirky Brit pack....

AtavanHalen (4.5)
Actually, my name's Marina....

Rhysydeesy (4)
Vibrant young British poppette is "the anti-GaGa"...



Comments:Add a Comment 
Gyromania
July 22nd 2011


37028 Comments


Just a short writeup that started out as a soundoff which I extended into a tiny review. I'm bored and trying to get back into reviewing. Expect longer, more coherent reviews int he coming days.

Parallels
July 22nd 2011


10146 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"The Family Jewels isn’t the genre’s saving grace"



yes it is



whatev, its a marina review. So awesome man, props

pizzamachine
July 22nd 2011


27156 Comments


Wow, this has to be the shortest review I've seen you do. It's good too, pos.

Parallels
July 22nd 2011


10146 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah its good. props gyromania.



Obsessions is my fav off here

Gyromania
July 22nd 2011


37028 Comments


Thanks guys, and yeah pizza, it's definitely the shortest review I've ever written :P Very laid back and whatever.

Parallels
July 22nd 2011


10146 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

im gonna write a marina review. needs more 4.5's

pizzamachine
July 22nd 2011


27156 Comments


I was wondering! I mean you usually do pretty flipping long reviews.

Gyromania
July 22nd 2011


37028 Comments


Yeah I don't typically write reviews this short because I always feel like I have a lot to say. I have a lot more to say for this album than what's stated above, but I'm not so much in the mood tonight and I felt like getting this out.

"im gonna write a marina review. needs more 4.5's"

You should man! You're a great reviewer and I'm curious as to what you have to say about the album.

lobby
July 22nd 2011


1251 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Mowgli's Road is stellar

Gyromania
July 22nd 2011


37028 Comments


Agreed, but "Numb" is my personal favorite.

Fugue
July 22nd 2011


7371 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

omg you still exist, awesome.

Fugue
July 22nd 2011


7371 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Also, Hermit is blates the best.

Fugue
July 22nd 2011


7371 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

xhanging to "most of them are" would fix that, surely?

Athom
Emeritus
July 23rd 2011


17244 Comments


i hate this cd.

Gyromania
July 23rd 2011


37028 Comments


"so semicolons don't exist to have fragments after them"

Changed.

lobby
July 23rd 2011


1251 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

wow thats a pretty good rating for an album you feel hatred toward

AtavanHalen
July 23rd 2011


17919 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

nice soundoff lol



Album is god-tier



Glitter daggers

Tyrael
July 23rd 2011


21108 Comments


So glad to have you back Matthew!

Now, The Family Jewels isn’t the genre’s saving grace

Yes it is omg Die Life! is gonna shatter all genre boundaries and lead us into a new dawn
of better pop music. I know it!

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
July 23rd 2011


22500 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Another Marina lover.



Hey Matt, don't put down this review too much mate. It's pretty concise & efficient, and could serve to ultimately make you a better writer. Good stuff.



Gyromania
July 23rd 2011


37028 Comments


Thanks Davey, I appreciate the kind words. I originally wanted to write something longer but I didn't have a lot of time and I want to focus more on putting forth a greater effort for newer releases.

Thomas: Thank you! I'm going to be a much more consistent writer on this site.



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