Marina And The Diamonds - Family Jewels CD

Pop is cooler than it has ever been. No revelations there. Somewhat ironic perhaps though, that the jewel in this new crown of credibility gut-laughs in the face of any notion of 'cool'. Marina (And The Diamonds) Diamand is living, breathing, belting, vogue-ing proof of the damn-near unfathomable possibilities contained within organic pop in 2010. "I really couldn't give a damn whether pop's in fashion this week or not, I'd be writing this music if it was dying a death," she scoffs. She's the complete songwriter/performer. 50% Greek, 50%Welsh, 100% frolicking fairytale creature. A girl with virtually no musical schooling, for whom heart scorching choruses miraculously seem to appear at the tips of her fingers with each increasingly preposterous limb fling. A voice that both lures sailors to shores and wards ships from rocks. A mind that hacks apart the fabric of Now and serves it up in an ice-cream sundae for all to guzzle down. A performer whose onstage movement has been reminding lackluster gig-goers across the land the true meaning of 'show time'. But like all the best popstars, dissecting their charms does them no justice. For Marina possesses that oh-so elusive ingredient. That one that had its name not been forsaken by reality televison's chart napalm strike, we might dare term something like 'x-factor'. Some of the greatest should-be British smash hits this side of the Millennium aside, Marina just has it. The presence, the poise, the patter. A sonic-boom of a laugh that seemingly punctuates her every sentence. She's five foot six of hour-glass sensation in waiting, and this is her year.