Marina
The Family Jewels


4.0
excellent

Review

by DaveyBoy EMERITUS
May 20th, 2010 | 1830 replies


Release Date: 2010 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Marina is the self-proclaimed fucking wild card of the quirky Brit pack.

It is an under-statement to suggest that quirky female sung pop is all the rage at present; especially amongst British artists. The style may not be totally original since Kate Bush was plying her trade in the sub-genre some three decades ago, but apart from some intermittent success for the likes of Tori Amos, Bjork and Fiona Apple, no one vocalist has made the idiosyncratic musical approach their own. Over the past couple of years however, things appear to have changed. Amanda Palmer, Paloma Faith and Florence and the Machine have all released strong - if polarizing - albums that have garnered a significant fan-base. Next to join the off-the-wall assortment is 24 year old Welsh born songstress Marina Diamandis.

At least co-writing all of the thirteen tracks on her debut LP ‘The Family Jewels’, Diamandis – going by the stage name of Marina & The Diamonds (despite no actual backing band called The Diamonds) – wastes no time in astutely merging her unorthodox eccentricities with irresistibly catchy pop hooks on strong opener ‘Are You Satisfied?’. As the album progresses however, the opener almost pales into insignificance with what is to come! While Marina dabbles in other genres here and there, pop is clearly where she shines… Look no further than on the addictive chorus of ‘Oh No!’ and the amazingly infectious ‘Hollywood’; a memorable song of the year contender which deserves to be 2010’s version of whichever Lady Gaga single you liked best.

That is not to say ‘The Family Jewels’ will be for everyone. Forty-five minutes is sure to be too much for many listeners, and Marina’s want to explore such an abundance of variety is as much a weakness as it is a strength. She clearly still needs work on Gaga-like electro if ‘Shampain’ is anything to go by, while her strike-rate on ballads is split with the vulnerable ‘Obsessions’ superior to the so-so ‘Rootless’. More pertinent however, is a batch of songs which utilize a theatrical kitchen-sink approach; from lush strings arrangements and instruments such as glockenspiels, accordions and harpsichords (some of which Marina play), all the way through to the singers exaggerated enunciations. Tracks such as ‘Girls’ and ‘Hermit the Frog’ will especially rub many the wrong way, while lead single ‘Mowgli’s Road’ contains everything from animal noises to a downright weird breakdown. Yet, even these cuts are difficult to resist, with Marina displaying a strangely endearing charisma while never forsaking those all-important alluring hooks.

One thing is for certain; Marina and her bevy of producers (Liam Howe, Pascal Gabriel, Greg Kurstin & Richard Stannard) always keep things “interesting”. Closer ‘Guilty’ effectively switches tempos, while instruments drop in and out at the drop of a hat. No song outstays its welcome either, since the angelic choir-like layered vocals of the Florence-like ‘Numb’ is the only track which progresses past four minutes. Thematically speaking, there is also a lot going on since Marina runs the full gamut of emotions throughout the album. “I’m vulnerable” she admits while testing her upper register on EP holdover ‘I Am Not A Robot”. Yet, later on ‘Oh No!’, she claims “I know exactly what I want and who I want to be”. For the most part though, her intentions are sincere since topics of responsibility, stereotypes, ostracism and insecurity are all prevalent, even on some of the more outlandish cuts.

Ambition can definitely be a double-edged sword in the music industry, and one gets the feeling that Marina Diamandis will realize this sooner rather than later. One person’s diversity is another’s incoherent mess, while what can be viewed as character-rich could also be deemed as fake. For these reasons, Marina is more likely to be compared to Paloma Faith, than Florence Welch. Yet, there is a savvy depth evident throughout ‘The Family Jewels’ which simply cannot be ignored; fun, serious, poppy and unorthodox, it is an album full of contradictions, but one which rarely fails to entertain. For that reason alone, in the ever-growing pack of quirky female singers, Marina could just well be – as she self-proclaims on ‘The Outsider’ – the “fu*king wild card”.

Recommended Tracks: Hollywood, Mowgli’s Road, Oh No! & Numb.



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user ratings (355)
3.8
excellent
other reviews of this album
AtavanHalen (4.5)
Actually, my name's Marina....

Gyromania (4)
with her debut, Marina has made it abundantly clear that she’s a force to be reckoned with in the ...

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



Comments:Add a Comment 
klap
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


12410 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

god damn my list of female pop grows longer by the day thanks to you australian fucks



edit: fuck fuck fuck

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

“I’m obsessed with the mess”.



I had noted like another hundred adjectives that I wanted to spread across this review. It's just that type of album.

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"god damn my list of female pop grows longer by the day thanks to you australian fucks"



And she's not even Australian.

klap
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


12410 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

i was talking about you and atavan lol

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"i was talking about you and atavan lol"



Yeah, yeah I know. But we can add even more if we really wanted to dig around outback Australia.



DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Rudy & Davey; Dropping the F-Bomb in review summaries since 2010.

AggravatedYeti
May 21st 2010


7683 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

well if you think this is good then

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"well if you think this is good then"



...everybody should listen.



Quite right young man.

AggravatedYeti
May 21st 2010


7683 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

thx for finishing my sentences Davey :D

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

You're welcome Yeti. I'm only here to help.



"wild card"... "Brit pack". Get it, get it. Oh, never mind.

AtavanHalen
May 21st 2010


17919 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

the answer is yes to every question you may have regarding Marina



Except "is she crap?". The answer is "fries".

AggravatedYeti
May 21st 2010


7683 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

ok ok I'll get this record jeeezzzz Davey

Dryden
May 21st 2010


13585 Comments


hes bossing you around

AtavanHalen
May 21st 2010


17919 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

like a boss

Dryden
May 21st 2010


13585 Comments


thats sick man

AtavanHalen
May 21st 2010


17919 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

what can I say

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Don't call me Boss Hog.



I gotta say DavID, I tried not to refer back to your review, but almost had to so I didn't cover too much of the same ground... Using the same adjectives, etc... My conclusion was initially more similar to yours.

AggravatedYeti
May 21st 2010


7683 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I so didn't read Atavan's review before this.

in fact its null n void. (lol!)



also ur prob a Boss Hog Davey, I mean -- probably

AtavanHalen
May 21st 2010


17919 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

hawg baws

DaveyBoy
Emeritus
May 21st 2010


22502 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Rather ironically, I'm going to eat some lunch. Where's Rosco P Coltrane when I need him?



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