Jams I’ve been digging...
For a very, very long time, the world has tried to get me to
like Marina and the Diamonds. But it just wasn’t working. I first came across Marina
in an article for Tatler about her and her fellow artistic flatmates in their uber
coole flat. At least; I’m sure there was
an article but having just spent the better part of an hour searching for it
through my old magazines I can’t find it anywhere. The article exists or I’d
never of heard about them, and I’m pretty sure it was Tatler because, really,
who else? An article about three hip beautiful rich creatives in London?
Tatler. And remember I was like… She’s super pretty; she must make great
music. And I tried them and I was so wrong. It was like strangled electronica
painted pink and wrapped in tissue that smalls vaguely of frangipani and spills
glitter EVERYWHERE when you open it; and not in a magical way. In a decidedly
annoying way. And for about a year that was it. And then I was listening to
Azelia Banks and Princess Chelsea and Youtube was like: You are going to LOVE
Marina and the Diamonds and I was like. Meh, maybe. After all, it took me a
while to like Gary Numan. But I tried her again- I think I listened to Primadonna?
And I said No deal, Noel. It just didn’t happen. And then she started getting
all popular and I read about them in a couple of magazines and I was like…
pffft. No. But then, just last week, I was dancing around my room doing my
makeup and getting dressed in the silliest clothes I own when I gave her another
shot and it all clicked.
Marina and the Diamonds is like- everything you want to be, if
you’re me. Incredibly famous without too much work; incredibly gorgeous; fairly
talented; feminist and fashionable; and the music makes you want to dance. You
will probably hate her; unless you are a fifteen year old girl or a fan of Lana
del Rey. I find her more irreverent than Lana D and when I listen to
Homewrecker or Hollywood I’m vaguely reminded of Amanda Palmer in her ‘Yay Pop
Culture!’ moments. I mean. They aren’t GOOD. I don’t think they’re hugely
memorable or bring anything very new to the music industry but they’re
FABULOUS. Marina is a sort of pin up version of Katie McGrath. (I’m reviewing Katie
next week if you don’t know who she is. I don’t want to spoil the fun but it is
a hugely favourable review. She might get 5 stars.) I liked her better all
sexual with the dark hair like when I first came across her. The new blond look
makes her seem younger and all wide eyed silliness. She doesn’t seem as strong
and grown up which is possibly the point. Go to her Wikipedia page if you want
to read the psychology behind her latest album; Electra Heart. It’ll be as
accurate as I am.
It’s just fun. Isn’t it fun? She’s like. Watch me teenage
girls; life is full of bubbles and high heels if you only look for them. I don’t
think music taste means anything so I don’t feel bad saying I am having a lot
of fun with many of her tracks- but not all of them. I still can’t get into
Primadonna. There must be something in her indie beginnings which means she
doesn’t seem to try as hard as Katy Perry or Nicki Minaj because it does feel
more organically created. The acoustic versions maybe feel less so but those
are the result of a bigger budget and more fame, I imagine, so it’s hardly
surprising. My main complaint would be the whiteness of it all but that’s
pretty much a ubiquitous complaint with everything ever. In many ways Marina
and the Diamonds are a fantastic accompaniment to the HBO series Girls. They
both manage to be indie enough for you to feel kind of proud of watching but
mainstream enough for people not to go ‘You’re such an indie fuck’ when you
mention that you like them.
I know I may have marginalised her to frilly pop for dancing
to but I do have to add: Marina has one hell of a voice. Something about these
Welsh girls, I don’t know. To be clear, I’m a singer and I judge a lot on
whether a female singer can actually sing or if she’s just a cute pixie with a
breathy sound. (Here’s looking at you Cults.) And Marina’s voice sounds
classically trained to me. Which makes me she may have at least studied at
school and I respect respect for music: by actually studying an instrument. I
think passion only gets you so far; at least it can get you SO FAR but you won’t
have the integrity as a musician unless you can be bothered to study. Which definitely
isn’t the point of Marina but hey.
I’ve been digging Marina and The Diamonds and I’m not
ashamed.
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