Obsessions – Marina and the Diamonds Obsessions – Marina and the Diamonds (Buy)

I prefer male vocals to female any day, but there are a few exceptions such as Lady Gaga and Florence and the Machine. However, I’d like to introduce you to the most recent exception on my list: Marina Lambrini Diamandis of Marina and the Diamonds.

Not only is she a pretty face, but she’s also got the musical talent and presence to back it up. I loved her the minute I heard her sound. Her debut album The Family Jewels is definitely a gem.  Marina kicks off her piece with Are You Satisfied — a truly strong opener. The lyrics are catchy and honest and she makes is abundantly clear that pop is her genre of choice. Oh No! follows suit, presenting an equally addicting chorus. And, thrown into the middle of the album, Hollywood, dare I say it, could even compete with Gaga’s best.

The song that remains the most memorable in my mind is I Am Not a Robot. Pure and honest, like many of her other songs, Marina confesses her lack of interest in what’s typically expected from an artist nowadays. She really shows of her stellar vocal range in this tune as well.

While this album is a gem, it still has a few blemishes (as expected from an artist’s debut). Hermit the Frog is a track I could have done without and as much as I liked the lyrics in Girls, the topic of the song is a little overused. There are times when I found Marina drowned out by the instrumentals (which need a little work) and the background vocals in this song as well. Furthermore, I love the whole “I’m not your typical girl” stance, but she didn’t need to remind me of that in what seemed like every… single… song.

Even with its minor flaws (a lack of memorable instrumentals, a little too much repetition), The Family Jewels has earned a permanent place on my iTunes. I’d like to go on and on about how much I love Marina, but you should really take a peek for yourself. This is definitely an album to listen to start to finish, earning it a 7.6 in my book.