RIYL: Kate Bush, Dresden Dolls, Regina Spektor
Blending Kate Bush dolphin cries with stomping drum machines and buzzing, ‘80s-kissed synths, Marina and the Diamonds join La Roux on the list of British exports hoping to turn UK buzz and new wave nostalgia into American gold. Marina sounds fashionably ambivalent about crossing the pond, and fame in general – check out “Hollywood” for the latest in Top 40-ready tabloid-razzing pop – but beneath all her quirky affectations, she’s careful to pile up tall stacks of indelible, hip-shaking hooks.
The result is a record that’s certainly enjoyable in its own melodramatic way, but one that’s also hard to love. It has the uniquely British chill of arty singer/songwriters like Kate Bush, but The Family Jewels lacks the depth to live up to those comparisons on more than a superficial level – it’s like an art rock record that wants to trick you into dancing. Or a dance record that wants to pretend it’s an art rock album. Either way, a little of this stuff goes a long way; after the umpteenth hiccupping cry and dog-whistle harmony, it’s hard not to wish you could reach through the speakers and make her stop trying so hard.
The shame of it all is that The Family Jewels includes the ingredients of what might have been a really addictive album – tracks like the tongue-in-cheek “Hollywood” and the moving-in-spite-of-itself “I Am Not a Robot” prove Marina understands the mechanics of pop melody. Everything else is just a gimmick – and while gimmicks sometimes help sell records, they’ve also been known to backfire. For once, less polished Jewels might have made a better first impression. (Atlantic/Chop Shop 2010)
