Marina and the Diamonds-"The Family Jewels" Review

As if we needed another UK indie-pop diva, Marina Diamandis, otherwise known as Marina and the Diamonds, joins the likes of Amy Winehouse and Florence Welch with her operatic and neo-Baroque debut "The Family Jewels". Though unlike most of her peers who do everything possible to aggrandize themselves as dramatic soul/torch singers, Marina comes across as something more attainable. While she's every bit as ornately artistic as Florence or Kate Nash, her sound is settled in the bouncy new-wave/pop that would've fit well on the radio circa 1982. Thankfully, Marina is sensible enough to update these  slightly cliched production techniques with layered string arrangements, deep synths, even some Worldbeat rhythms and harmonies, setting "The Family Jewels" somewhere on the spectrum between Lily Allen and Sara Bareilles. Marina's voice is versatile and powerful enough to carry dauntingly big hooks, while her words are delivered with the backhanded niceness that prevents this record from taking itself too seriously. This doesn't always work to her benefit, especially when the songs get too demure and don't elicit any strong response one way or the other. However, this sense of self-awareness is something that mainstream pop desperately needed in 2010. It's terribly refreshing to see Marina so earnest in her craft, even when she stumbles. There's certainly a lot that's interesting about "The Family Jewels", whether it be the squeaky synth in "Girls" or Arabian flourishes in "Hermit the Frog", but there are several moments where the album feels like it could have used more of this imagination in the melodic hooks, which are often too on the nose of irony. Other than that, there's really nothing here that feels contained to any certain style or genre, nor is there any pretense that the ambitious production is a result of anything more than the ambition of a classically trained and eager to experiment artist. As far as debut albums go, there are definitely worse ways "The Family Jewels" could have gone, so it's important to point out that this record succeeds more than it fails. Still, there's definite room for improvement once Marina and the Diamonds has had enough exposure and continues to expand and refine her music. All in all, this isn't a bad start, and is likely to only grow in stature come the next few years.

Recommended Tracks in Bold
1. Are You Satisfied?         2. Shampain                           3. I Am Not A Robot

4. Girls                                      5. Mowgli’s Road                   6. Obsessions

7. Hollywood                       8. The Outsider                      9. Guilty

10. Hermit The Frog              11. Oh No!                             12. Seventeen

13. Numb                               14. The Family Jewels

Kacey Musgraves-"Pageant Material" Review

Maybe on some other planet, Kacey Musgraves' 2013 debut "Same Trailer Different Park", a stellar synthesis of neo-traditional country and mid-tempo bluegrass, would've made her Country's breakout star. It didn't even come close--despite winning a Grammy and going Gold, the album surely didn't place her on equal footing with Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Miranda Lambert. However, this lack of hits or less than enthusiastic response at Country radio was definitely not at the fault of Musgraves herself, since her music was humorous, confident, and gripping. Even if the Country marketplace didn't want to embrace a more progressive social view while trading in bro-country for neo-traditionalist styles, there's no merit in dismissing her great talents as a songwriter and artist. Proving her musical prowess is her equally entertaining sophomore record, "Pageant Material". It's not too far removed from Musgraves' debut, but it succeeds in ways that "Same Trailer" faltered. The tempo is still set for walking, but this time there are luscious strings and more vocal harmonies to accentuate the instantly memorable melodies. Themes stay grounded in acceptance, love, and small-town squabbles, but they're continually expounded on through anecdotes about Musgraves' own childhood experiences. There's a certain intimacy in "Pageant Material" that "Same Trailer" lacked, regardless of the fact that no character in these songs are mentioned by a specific name or trait. Additionally, the irony that serves as the heart of Musgraves' words is layered with shrewd metaphors and blunt honesty, making for a much more engaging listen. Best of all, the album winds its way through 46 minutes of music with an ease so effortless, it's hard not to give it a few more spins. Satisfaction is instantaneous, and there's never a point on this record where the notes get dull or the words become corny. Every song provides something for everyone, not because "Pageant Material" is Musgraves selling out to the conformities of Country radio, but because of her careful construction of these songs and diligence in crafting universal anthems that sound good no matter how they are packaged. She kicks the sophomore slump in the ass and instead improves on virtually every aspect of her debut. Even if she never gains the monetary success of her peers, there's no denying that her albums provide richer and more substantial rewards.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. High Time                           2. Dime Store Cowgirl           3. Late to the Party

4. Pageant Material          5. This Town                           6. Biscuits

7. Somebody to Love             8. Miserable                        9. Die Fun

10. Family is Family         11. Good Ol’ Boys Club        12. Cup of Tea

13. Fine

Owl City-"Mobile Orchestra" Review

Since Owl City had already sold his genuine authenticity down the river, it didn't seem that he could scrape the bottom of the pop barrel any further. If it didn't follow "The Midsummer Station", the embarrassing realization of this sentiment, then "Mobile Orchestra" would be Owl City's worst album. Adding insult to injury is the "Ultraviolet" EP in 2014, which brought a brief moment of relief and suggested that Adam Young was trying to reconnect with the spirit of his earlier, and best, work. But since that is not the case with OC's first full-length in three years, "Mobile Orchestra" plays out like a botched attempt at a career rebirth after a tragic failure at finding pop crossover success. What's worse is that Adam Young continues to offer the same excuse for his pop ventures, stating that he makes music he believes he should make, rather than what others tell him to make. Not only is this argument transparent--"Good Time" featured Carly Rae Jepsen because Republic Records told him that it should--but it also implies that Young realized that "The Midsummer Station" was not only contrived, but it also sanded down his core star-making audience. "Ultraviolet" has already made this apparent with its mix of "old meets new", and in light of "Mobile Orchestra", that 2014 EP now appears to have been lip service to OC's original fan base. Now in 2015, he's back to making shallow and paint-by-numbers mainstream pop, drafting "Wake Me Up!" singer Aloe Blacc for first song/lead single "Verge", which seems to be designed as "Shooting Star" meets Blacc's own solo hit "The Man", while resurrecting 90s one-hit wonder Hanson for "Unbelievable", a flat-out terrible song, the worst that Owl City has ever recorded, which streamlines BuzzFeed's nostalgia craze into three minutes of stomach-lurching cliches. So derivative are these two songs, that it's excruciatingly baffling why anyone in Owl City's camp would continue to think that these pop hand-me-downs would work in the hands of an artist that can't convincingly sell these gimmicks. 

But even when "Mobile Orchestra" revisits classic OC territory, mainly the Christian-pop cuts "My Everything" and "You're Not Alone", it still doesn't work because these songs are also recycled and bland. The momentary detour into country music, the Jake Owen-assisted "Back Home", doesn't fail as a song but is also not a persuasive testament to Owl City's ability to pull off the production and style. The only time that "Mobile Orchestra" succeeds in any collaboration or genre is when lower-profile artists reside in the passenger seat (see the lone highlight "Thunderstruck", featuring Trance singer Sarah Russell) or when subtlety is favored over the obvious (such as the song "Bird With A Broken Wing", perhaps a more fitting title for this record). Partnering with big-budget singers and songwriters is not, nor has it ever been, an appealing outfit on Owl City because when under the thumb and control of others, his imagination is stifled, which makes his on-record presence weak and hollow. And that's the most pertinent problem with "Mobile Orchestra", because if it had been presented with some sense of humor or frivolity, then it would've been easy to laugh at and with it. There are actually a lot fun songs here, but  because Adam Young's heart isn't in it, they become faceless and boring. His lack of soul and pizzazz turns these songs into the worst kind of pop music: the type that has great potential, but is predictable, unenjoyable, and could have been made by anyone. What would've been Owl City's worst album is then something that's interestingly tragic; a disappointment to long-time fans who've waited for a half-decade to return to his creative roots, but its shortcomings don't associate with the Owl City name when it doesn't remotely feel or sound like Owl City.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Verge                       2. I Found Love                     3. Thunderstruck

4. My Everything      5. Unbelievable                      6. Bird With A Broken Wing

7. Back Home            8. Can’t Live Without You   9. You’re Not Alone

10. This Isn’t The End