I am new to this scene. I'm partially joining you out of curiosity and partially for a project at University. We're studying the impact of 'citizen journalism' on the media and as I'm a total blog virgin- bloirgin? Virog? Blirgin? Blirgin.- as I am a total blirgin, I feel the need to set up my own little spot in this bizarre little universe and explore. I planned to do the same with Twitter, but I seem to have missed that boat, it makes no sense to me. Why tweet when you have facebook? I was going to say that it seems pretty self-indulgent, but then so is facebook. And so is this. It's all very self-indulgent, this absurd internet culture. You'll learn very quickly that I loathe and love it, like a little whirlwind of indecisiveness.
So. What to say to the world in my first blog? I'm dipping out a little here and just posting a review I've written for my Journalism class, it is my first ever review and I like it. Please enjoy and please let me know if I am doing this blogging milarky right.
The Crown Jewels, MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS
Preppy, pretty, perky little Marina. She tells us that we are her Diamonds, and we do not protest. Her first EP has sauntered onto the music scene like a handful of falling pixie dust, glittering amongst the mainstream like a mermaid in a swamp. Little heard of until recent months, Marina is defiantly our next big crush. A kitsch-filled, glee inducing marinade of pop beats and Kate Bush inspired vocals, the girl herself boasts the fashion sense of a deity (with thanks to Vivienne Westwood, so says Marina) and the lyrical prowess of a hormone-fuelled poet. Overall, an extrovert’s wonderland.
When you listen to The Crown Jewels, it’s like having a very small slice of a very decedent cake. With only 3 tracks and a bonus remix, Marina teases her fresh Diamond’s, dancing around their ears, nymph-like, until they are mesmerised. And so we warn you, music fans, of this undercover siren.
Her first single, I Am Not a Robot, instantly enraptures. Marina’s precious voice, combined with the tinkering piano and sudden beat drop, make for a single that will certainly grace the indie club scene. Her voice has been hailed as charmingly mid-European- the Kate Bush parallel born from the elasticity of her lilt and its powerful, significant range. A perfect all rounder, it seems. However, does our darling Marina have the ability to save herself from the ‘Solo Female Artist’ black hole currently consuming the likes of La Roux, Florence + the Machine and Paloma Faith? What with the sudden influx of such over-branded artists, Marina could be at risk of falling from her individual little pedestal. Alas, it cannot be.
Currently untouched by the big name labels, Marina is still very much herself. This encourages us a great deal, as does her song Simplify, which works to move away from the synth-pop scene and embraces a ‘recorded-in-my-kitchen’ sound which gives us a wholesome, deliciously refreshing kiss on the cheek. There’s hope yet, right?
Wrong. Dishearteningly, Marina’s re-recording of Mowgli's Road will be released by major label Atlantic Records on 16th November. Another one bites the dust? We sincerely hope not. Our thoughts are filled with images of our new favourite girl bearing all on a billboard, promoting Swarovski, air-brushed beyond recognition.
The hype is beginning, the black hole expanding; our only hope is that lovely Marina maintains her wonderful quirk without loosing herself in the process. After all, Marina recently blogged, “I don’t want to be extremist. I want to find some middle ground, some kind of alternative existence as a female artist.” Here’s hoping.
