Welsh recording artist Marina and the Diamonds came into my life with a free iTunes single, “I Am Not a Robot”, back in 2010. Two years later, the indie pop artist has changed her sound for the release of her second studio album, Electra Heart, which hit the shelves in the US on July 10. Preceded by lead single, “Primadonna”, the album may be a departure from the music that I first fell in love with, but it still works for the singer with a talented voice. While some tracks come off as generic as a Perry/Spears mash up, bright moments are sprinkled throughout for a strong effort.
The pop/electronic album starts off with the appropriately titled “Bubblegum Bitch”, a short sugary sweet track describing the life and personality of Marina’s alter ego, Electra. The fast paced production is interesting, a good start to the album, until the lyrics about soda pop, lemonade, candy begin to pour out. The song surely sets the album’s theme and mood, but is amateur at best.
Lead single, “Primadonna”, begins as a slow, mid-tempo ballad-esque track until the catchy chorus kicks in. Produced by Dr. Luke, Marina comes off sounding exactly like a Katy Perry/Ke$ha hybrid. The artist has more talent than the two ladies, but the sound is so undistinguishable that it seems like a leftover from either’s album. Vocals are the highlight and may be the only reason I’ll listen to the song a second time.
It is on tracks like “Lies” where the artist really shines. “What’s the point of playing a game you’re gonna lose”, Marina sings on the sad song describing problems in a relationship. Things get really depressing and personal as the artist claims her man only loves her in the dark when he is drunk. Here songwriting and vocal performance are at their best. A small reminder of her true talent.
“Homewrecker” is a decent effort, but I could do without the spoken word intro and verses, sort of annoying. The chorus saves the cut from failing completely. Marina claims she “breaks a million hearts just for fun”, emphasizing her womanhood and independence, while her vocals go back and forth from loud and great to low and mediocre. Far from my favorite track.
If I had to choose the album’s next single, I would quickly go with “Starring Role”, a beautiful, slow track with hints of vulgarity for an extra kick. Marina does not play second best, will not settle for a supporting role, in a relationship. The artist’ vocal evoke so much emotion, from despair to infatuation, from contentment to anger. Everything about the track works, I love every second.
The somber-feeling “The State of Dreaming” does its job perfectly. As soon as it begins to come through the speakers, a light, airy, dream-like trance overtakes the listener. There may not be much meat to the song, sounds shorter than it really is, but Marina takes what is available and sends it as high as it can go. The track is nothing amazing, but one of the better moments on the album.
Second single, “Power & Control”, is another bright moment on the project. If Katy Perry made more revengeful, dark tracks, they would sound something like this, but let’s leave them to Marina for now. Men need to learn that the artist holds all the power and control when it comes to a relationship. The background beat is hypnotizing, a little psychotic sounding, but beyond perfect.
A Euro-dance vibe falls over “Sex Yeah”, a track that seems to bash all the oversexed pop stars here in the states. The repetitive chorus becomes quite an earworm, cannot get it out my head, as the artist makes a statement about the fact that sex truly does sell. Sex has become a religion over the years and Marina is questioning its use in this 80s pop sounding masterpiece.
Another slow track comes in the form of “Teen Idle”, showing a suicidal Marina at sixteen burning bibles longing to be prom queen. “I wanna drink until I ache, I wanna make a big mistake”, Marina sings over wishing to be a rebel instead of clean and pristine. The production, seeming to be ripped out from a teen horror film, mixed with dark lyrics creates a story worth being told.
“Valley of the Dolls” deals with an identity crisis, the life of a dying shooting star. The verses are well written, but the chorus and progression bring this song down, becoming somewhat of a bore. Nothing really separates the track from the rest of the album and it gets lost without ever making an impression. Marina’s low vocal performance does not even do the trick here.
After a soft, music box-like intro, “Hypocrates” shows Marina calling out somehow for all of their lies. The message is short, simple and sweet, practice what you preach. The hook is pretty damn beautiful and while the track was not exactly what I was hoping for, it is still a song deserving of a listen or two. Nobody likes hypocrites. I could sing this song to a few people in my life.
Current UK third single, “How To Be A Heartbreaker”, plays out like a rulebook. If you wanted to ruin lives, crush someone’s heart into a million pieces, then listen up. The artist sings how women can stay strong and make sure they are the ones that don’t get their heart broken. The roles are switch this time around. Good at first, the song loses some steam, and becomes just average.
Released as a promotional single prior to the album, “Radioactive” was the first taste at Marina’s new sound. Shocking at first to hear the artist strip away all of her indie roots to dive deep into the pop/dance genre, but the song is a nice listen. The track does not do much, which is why it was released as a buzz single, but I could listen to her sing anything.
The album closes with “Fear and Loathing”, a track title that excited me. The song is the slowest the album gets, could be considered its sole true ballad. I quickly focus on the artist’s show-stopping vocals, the best they have sounded on the whole effort. The song is simple, does not rely too much on heavy production. The artist finishes everything with a huge knockout. Thumbs up.
Electra Heart is a record that will certainly divide critics and fans of the artist. Marina and the Diamonds made a huge impression on me with her first single, but her new album’s sound, while at time brilliant, comes off sounding too much like a Katy Perry wannabe. Her up-tempo pop tracks mirror everything that is playing on the radio now. There is nothing to set herself apart from the crowd. Marina excels on the slower to mid-tempo offerings, putting her vocals before sparkly production from producers who need to quit for a minute. To me, the album lacks character. The album receives a 78%. I’ll stick with Family Jewels.
Tracks to Hear: “Lies”, “Starring Role”, “Power & Control”, and “Teen Idle”
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