Marina and The Diamonds
The Family Jewels

Now we can say it, Marina Diamandis is the true surprise of 2010! Her debut "The Family Jewels" clearly distances itself from the sea of American trash (and throwaway) that sees the likes of Kelis, Madonna, Akon, Justin Bieber (sigh) as current major exponents. Yes, with all due respect to the radical-chic reader who might think they're facing one of those alternative bands with a strange name, Marina & The Diamonds (phantom band that, incidentally, doesn't exist, it's clearly a play on her surname) is the classic pop project, perhaps dressed in that recurring indie-snob attitude typical of made in the UK, but fundamentally it's pop, and of excellent quality. 

Vintage yet current, referential but personal, oldie but with a fresh sound. But it turns out to be just a pleasant setting, as everything centers around the unique and bizarre voice of this 25-year-old Welsh girl of Greek descent, who, besides the renowned beauty of the hybrid, the delightful English accent mixed with the Greek folk-infused attitude, displays a dramatic-theatrical range capable of great vocal acrobatics, sometimes too much out of place in the context, with vocal characteristics hovering between Kate Bush (to whom she has been compared multiple times), the more kitsch Regina Spektor, Annie Lennox's masculine vocal moves and the great Siouxsie Sioux. Quite the mix, right?!

It's clear how the charming Marina, with these good vocal abilities from up high, could (should) dare more with much more "serious" products: given her determination and eagerness that distinguish her, I don't rule out it could happen later, but for now it's fine as it is because it's an excellent debut, one of those easy, well-packaged, ultra-cared-for arrangement albums (including collaborators like Liam from the Sneaker Pimps and Greg Kurstin from The Bird and the Bee, who worked with Devo, The Flaming Lips, Red Hot Chili Peppers), but with a damn easy repeatability. Everything is so perfect, without the slightest flaw, without even a shadow of the now-so-popular autotune (enough to come out with a "Guess what? I’m not a robot!"), which raises a bit of a doubt if Diamandis is real or fake. All planned at the table? Even if it was, who cares, it's a great album and that's what matters. It's worth mentioning that against the trend of the pop target, she does her own thing, takes care of all string instruments (piano, glockenspiel), writes lyrics and arrangements herself, goes beyond the do-it-yourself 2.0, using myspace, youtube and dozens of web-spread demos that quickly highlighted her as the new (yet another?) next big English thing. The radical chic can breathe a sigh of relief, perhaps only to rethink it when learning about her success in the UK, the praise from the press (BBC and Guardian above all), and her, argh, desire for "divism" typical of pop chart merchandise. 

But watch out radical-chic reader, wait before you move to the Baustelle page, because "The Family Jewels" isn't just simple "chart pop," it's much more. A little gem that highlights a worthy and talented artist. Much more than the primordial alternative post-grunge you endure in live shows like Maurizio Costanzo Dorme, or Menomalechesilviocè. 

New-wave influences, baroque atmospheres, eighties keyboards: she insists on calling it experimental pop. Maybe a bit bold, but not too much. Wanting to refer to the world, the album unfolds between the most classic and blatant British indie-pop style like Kate Nash ("I'm Not a Robot" - with a very theatrical dynamic over a solid fairy tale-like piano base like Amos-, the delightful Spektor-esque "Mowgli's Road" - maximum expression moment of the neurotic voice -, the majestic tones of "Hollywood"), and a sort of art-pop-dance with super keyboard arrangements very Abba with Motown-like strings and brass and the classic can't-get-it-out-of-your-head chorus ("Are You Satisfied?" - the "broken" voice will be a recurrent theme -, the melodramatic charm of "The Outsider"). Some more serious moments like the rhythmic experiments of "Guilty" or the vocal oddity of "Obsession" match others of a decidedly livelier sound like the electropop of "Shampain" (curious the combination of 8-bit sounds and little flutes) and the accordion folkiness of "Girls" (echoes of The Pierces but with a vocal presence these latter can only dream of). 

However, it is with the orchestral epicness of "Numb" that the album reaches its pinnacle: away with the pop pose, away with the easiness, away with the playful tones: Marina's sulky singing and flamboyant tones almost make you forget the magical arrangement sewn around her, and it is precisely with this song, strategically penultimate, that the spark ignites, making you convinced you are facing a small "gem"... not of family but of Marina herself, a girl to watch who I am sure is destined for great things. Rarely do I venture with enthusiastic adjectives for records otherwise "in the norm," but trust me radical-chic reader, this album even being an "ordinaryrecordanyway" is fantastic. Not a single disappointing track among the 13 offered.

Okay, there's a flaw: the cover is truly unwatchable, looks like Beyoncé. And Beyoncé gets on my nerves. But her.. I already adore her!