Marina And The Diamonds - The Family Jewels Review

The Family Jewels

Marina And The Diamonds

Release Date: 22nd Feb, 2010
Label: 679 Recordings
Genre: Pop

As with Ellie Goulding and Delphic, Marina Diamandis (to give her full name – apparently the ‘diamonds’ of the band title are her fans, rather than any backing musicians) was another of the acts short-listed for the BBC Sound of 2010 poll. Born in Wales, to a Greek father and Welsh mother, this is certainly an accomplished debut. With Diamandis’ distinctive voice, the songs on offer are varied in sound, from the quirky Tori Amos pop of ‘Are You Satisfied?’, the uplifting electro-tinged ‘Shampain’, and the stomping ‘Mowgli’s Road’. With a sure-fire hit in ‘Hollywood’ which is all over mainstream radio at the time of writing, she shows there’s plenty more ammunition in her repertoire. Holding a definite edge over most of the female oriented acts out there, Marina looks destined to have a sudden surge to the top of the pop A-list.

Reviewed by Pete Muscutt

About The Artist

Marina And The Diamonds

Marina Lambrini Diamandis (Greek: Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη, pronounced /diːəˈmændi/ dee-a-man-dis, born October 10, 1985 in Abergavenny, Wales, United Kingdom), better known by her stage name Marina and The Diamonds, is a Greek-Welsh singer. Despite the name, she is a solo act, the "Diamonds" being a reference to her fans. Her eponymous name consists of Diamandis' first name and the translation of her surname, which means "Diamonds" in Greek. Diamandis released her first single (a double A-side single Obsessions/Mowgli's Road) through Neon Gold Records on Valentine's Day, 2009, closely followed by The Crown Jewels EP in June 2009. Now signed to 679 Recordings, Her first single with the label was Mowgli's Road, released in November 2009. In January 2010 she reached #2 on the BBC Sound of 2010 poll list. This was followed by the release of her debut full-length studio album, The Family Jewels, in February 22 2010, and her debut American release, The American Jewels EP on May 25 2010. The Family Jewels peaked at #5 in the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver in the United Kingdom days before its release. Hollywood was released as the lead single from the album on February 1 2010, followed by a re-release of I Am Not a Robot on April 26 2010. Diamandis said she decided to re-release the song because "people seem to empathize and relate with the song, regardless of gender or age." Oh No! was the next single to be released from The Family Jewels on August 2 2010, and Shampain follows on October 11 2010, to coincide with her biggest UK and Ireland tour to date. Radioactive was released as the first single from Marina's second album, Electra Heart. The single premiered on BBC Radio 1 on August 22, 2011 and will be released on October 3, 2011. (Radioactive Songfacts). Diamandis' musical style ranges from keyboard-based ballads to more uptempo new wave-style songs with full band backing. She has cited a wide range of influences such as Daniel Johnston, Blondie, Patti Smith, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Elliott Smith, Dolly Parton, and Madonna. http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com www.facebook.com/marinaandthediamonds www.twitter.com/marinasdiamonds www.myspace.com/marinaandthediamonds

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5 Comments

  1. maheyou 13 Dec 2010

    awsome!

  2. MnzO 04 Aug 2010

    OH NO ! <3

  3. iheartziyi 26 May 2010

    That's because of this: http://www.last.fm/music/Marina%2B%2526%2Bthe%2BDiamonds/The+Family+Jewels

  4. Lando_Land 30 Apr 2010

    Just two comments? =0 This great album deserves more!

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