Net Music Review

Marina & The Diamonds - The Family Jewels

For those of you in the know Marina Diamandis, better known as Marina & The Diamonds has been around for a while now, releasing her first EP back in 2007, since then she has released several EP's culminating in her first full length album, The Family Jewels. The album includes several tracks from her previous EP's and at first listen comes across as an almost schizophrenic collection of styles and influences, dig a little deeper though and there are some wonderfully crafted gems that reward the listener for their patience.

Hailing from Wales with a Greek father and Welsh mother Marina & The Diamonds is a play on her surname which in Greek means "diamonds" and has won critical acclaim for this her debut album and came runner up in the BBC's Sound of 2010 poll. So, not too much to live up to then…

The Family Jewels contains some songs from her previous EP releases (Hermit the Frog, I Am Not A Robot) as well as new material and veers from one style to another. However, it is on the slower, piano based ballads that she truly shines and the disco tinged "Shampain" is the exception that proves the rule. The album kicks off with "Are You Satisfied", a mid tempo piano led song that and it is here that the inevitable comparisons with Kate Bush and Tori Amos begin. Let me be clear, being compared to such female giants of the musical world is no bad thing but could in later years become a bit of a mill stone. "Shampain" despite having a one of the cheesiest titles of the year is a disco track with hints of Ladyhawke and is the kind of song to have you singing along before you realise it. "I Am Not A Robot" is the crown jewel in this collection (sorry no pun intended) and really showcases her exceptional voice and shows some small hints of the Velvet Underground, it tells of one person having the courage to stand up and do what they believe in.

Unfortunately for every "I Am Not A Robot" on the album there is a "Girls" or "Mowglis Road". The songs seem to find an artist struggling to find her voice and trying to cover all bases, "Girls" in particular is difficult to listen to. However, things pick up with the beautiful "Obsessions", a raw, emotionally charged track about relationships going sour and is another highlight of this record. This leads straight into "Hollywood" a catchy piano led pop song that takes a cheeky sideswipe at America's celebrity driven pop culture with a chorus that really sucks you in. Great choice as a single. "The Outsider" is a dark brooding electronic song, again sounding very similar to Ladyhawke and is another of the albums treats, this is followed by "Hermit The Frog" a song that seems to sum Marina & The Diamonds up in three and a half minutes. It seems bent of showcasing as many different as possible, from almost music hall to Enya on the chorus, yet is strangely compelling.

Sadly the closing stages of the album seems to tail off without leaving much of an impression, while the songs pleasant enough as they are seem to blend into the rest of the album. "Numb" bucks the trend here with its haunting strings and a strong Enya influence, a beautiful song that would have been a perfect ending to this eclectic collection of songs.

Overall, the highs outweigh the lows and we have to remember this is effectively a debut album, even with a few EPs already in the bag. It is definitely the sound of a future start finding her feet and musical direction, when that does happen I expect some truly spectacular results. Here however her star shines as bright as any other out there, just not constantly.