Marina and the Diamonds is an artist who clearly decided that riding on the coattails of British music goddess Florence Welch is so last year, as she demonstrates on her stellar debut effort, The Family Jewels. The album plays like a cohesive greatest hits catalog, an impressive feat for a budding young artist. Marina Diamandis, a Welsh singer whose refreshing vocal range sparkles with originality, loads Jewels full of seemingly-radio-friendly but actually deeply insightful singles. Take, for instance, lead track “Are You Satisfied,” a song that begins with Diamandis’ haunting voice layered over violins, but ends by spiraling into humorously downtrodden dance frenzy. The singer wails a chorus quite unlike any other pop hit on today’s Top-40 charts, “Are you satisfied / with an average life? / Do I need to lie / to make my way in life?” On the wonderful slow-jam “I Am Not a Robot,” Diamandis asserts the importance of saying what one is feeling, a raw and vulnerable track that warrants continued listens almost a year after its initial release. On “Mowgli’s Road,” the songbird channels the musical styling of Muse, whereas on “Oh No!”—the album’s best song—she showcases her stellar range on an ass-kick of a song that features a backhanded dig at Florence as she squeals, “I know exactly what I want and who I want to be / I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine.” Bold moves from a brash young girl, standing up to the fiery-haired Flo, but if anyone has the repertoire to back herself up, it’s Marina.
Watch the video for "Oh No!" below:
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