the review of this remarkable release down below pretty much sums up exactly what i would say about this brazen, refreshing album from mariana and the diamonds. they are another group that i discovered through their work remixed before i heard the original versions of the tracks. sometimes, the original work disappoints like the slow, pixie drudge that was the lykke li album from last year, but mariana and the diamonds deliver wholeheartedly from start to finish. it is a strong, meaty collection of songs that never hesitate and never follow trends. here’s a remix of ‘hollywood’ by the amazing juan maclean for you to enjoy. it is a stomper that borders on frustrating but that brings out the full testament of the song and takes it to a properly absurd level. i definitely recommend that you go and buy the album. you will love it!
mariana also had some kind words to say about madonna recently as well claiming she is a true icon and inspiration. gotta love someone who doesn’t follow the trend of madonna bashing just to get some headline inches…
mariana and the diamonds – hollywood (juan maclean remix)
and check out the ridiculously brilliant video for ‘mowgli’s road’, an amazing album track that is just as quirky as the video clip created for it…
MARIANA AND THE DIAMONDS – The Family Jewels
01. Are You Satisfied? (3:21)
02. Shampain (3:11)
03. I Am Not A Robot (3:35)
04. Girls (3:28)
05. Mowgli’s Road (3:12)
06. Obsessions (3:30)
07. Hollywood (3:50)
08. The Outsider (3:17)
09. Hermit The Frog (3:36)
10. Oh No! (3:02)
11. Rootless (3:28)
12. Numb (4:16)
13. Guilty (3:41)
You probably won’t listen to a more inventive and exciting album this year… To describe The Family Jewels as an excellent electro pop album would be a correct, though extremely basic, opinion and would miss the point by a nautical mile; Marina delights in confounding expectations and not following standard blueprints. The eccentric vocals and sometimes bizarre lyrics that resonate throughout the album are touches that other artists would cross the street to avoid. She certainly out-odds Florence … in the oddball stakes. This is not just an electro pop album; this is a Marina & The Diamonds electro pop album. Highlights include ‘Girls’, a light-hearted mocking of the female gender (“Girls they never befriend me ‘cos I fall asleep when they speak of all the calories they eat”) and ‘I Am Not A Robot’, a beautifully-delivered heartfelt and intimate track – although Marina still can’t resist putting something out of left field into it with the robotic backing vocals… Even these tracks are outshone by the superb ‘Oh No!’, which boasts a double hitter in the catchiest chorus and best central hook on the entire album. It’s an instant classic which grabs you from the first listen and transports you to the dance floor, wherever you are. The electro hooks and unique vocals should entice the adventurous but it’s with repeat listens that the album truly comes of age as you realise just how different it is to what else is around. If these are The Family Jewels, you have to wonder what treasures Marina can unearth next. (themusicfix.co.uk)



























