Marina and the Diamonds
Family Jewels
Chop Shop
It’s been a couple years now but finally the masses are catching on and Marina Diamondis, often known to her fans as Marina and the Diamonds, is well on her way to gaining the recognition she truly deserves as a starlet on the rise and, dare I say, a soon-to-be-household name worth knowing.
The Welsh singer/songwriter has been slowly building up momentum these past few years overseas, garnering attention with her first single, the simplistic and heartfelt sleeper hit, “I Am Not a Robot.” Her rise to stardom began in London where she began composing and producing her own music as a form of self-expression on the Apple program, Garageband, before she was able to get her foot in the door of the music industry. She later released a few LP’s, at the time bouncing from label to label until she signed with Chop Shop, a division of Atlantic Records in March of this year. Next came a successful opening US mini tour and a well-received performance at 2010’s SXSW Music Festival, followed by the release of her feature full-length album, The Family Jewels.
Her sound can best be described as innovative indie meets pop rock and though she has called on Daniel Johnston, PJ Harvey and even Britney Spears as inspirations for her music, she wants her audience to know that her sound is completely organic as far as comparisons go, and her latest album is no exception.
The opening track, “Are you Satisfied?” immediately sets the tempo of the album and delves right into the frothy, up-beat chorus, instantly pulling the listener into a world in which they’re the observer and Marina is the creator.
Each song flows rhythmically into the next, carefully blending the quirky, optimistic moods of her pop-infused tracks (“Oh No!”, “Shampain”, “Girls”) against her more wistful, deeply-rooted ballads (“Obsessions”, “Numb”, “Rootless”). Her popular, glam anthem “Hollywood” focuses on her obsession with the American culture, something she often refers back to interviews, while other gems such as “The Outsider” and “Hermit the Frog” tap into a very human and uncertain side of the singer.
Marina effortlessly executes her songs with an overwhelming sense of depth and honesty, exuding a sort of bubble gum pop exterior with a solid philosophical center and even manages to scale vocal ranges that would make most of today’s pop sirens cringe in fear.
In a sea of tired young commodities, Marina is a full-fledged artist. A welcomed addition to the ranks of Kate Bush and Tori Amos; A true singer whose talent is just as strong as her will to create and inspire at a time when music needs gifted women most.
Release date February 22, 2010
Track Listing
1. Are You Satisfied?
2. Shampain
3. I Am Not A Robot
4. Girls
5. Mowgli’s Road
6. Obsessions
7. Hollywood
8. The Outsider
9. Hermit The Frog
10. Oh No!
11. Rootless
12. Numb
13. Guilty
