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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Artist Spotlight: Marina & The Diamonds

Make no mistake, Marina Diamandis is the real deal. She possesses the voice, persona and looks which characterise all the best pop stars, and crucially she also delivers the songs to boot. In truth, her debut album The Family Jewels was a slightly patchy affair, but when it hit the spot - with songs like "Hollywood" and "Mowgli's Road" - it hit hard. But while that album mainly comprised of quirky radio hits, this teaser music video for the as yet unannounced follow-up hints that her focus may have shifted somewhat.

The first thing that stands out is the concept. In the video, Marina undergoes a transformation from herself into an alter-ego, Electra Heart who, in her own words "epitomises and embodies the lies, illusions and death of American ideologies involved in the corruption of self." Pretentious? Undoubtedly, but ambition such as this is often what separates the best from the rest, and Marina has already shown in her short career that she has the potential to realise such daunting targets.

But what of the actual song? Entitled "Fear And Loathing," it's far darker than anything else she's come up with, and proves a stark contrast to much of The Family Jewels, which often bordered on silliness. Sparse, moody and beautiful, it arguably represents her best individual composition yet, and while the rest of the record may not follow suite, it's certainly doing it's job in raising excitement levels. In fact, if the whole album is this good, then a huge surge in popularity could be well within her reach.

Watch the video for "Fear And Loathing" here.

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