“Froot” was written entirely by Marina Diamondis, and most critics have received it more positively than “Electra Heart.” | Courtesy of Neon Gold and Atlantic Records
It was certainly a Good Friday when Marina and the Diamonds released “Froot” on iTunes. Preserving the honest depth of “Family Jewels” while playing with the candy pop flair she tested in “Electra Heart,” Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis seems to have found her golden ratio.
Diamandis leads with the hopeful, spiritually tone of “Happy,” giving listeners a taste of a different part of herself before “Froot,” a midlife crisis wrapped in a hypnotic disco beat and vivid imagery. A perfect lead single, it summarizes the rest of the album’s tone and prepares listeners for an album full of introspection.
Most of the songs on the album are at least 4 minutes long, and Diamandis keeps listeners interested by using the verse-bridge-chorus formula.
Listeners can add “I’m a Ruin,” “Blue,” “Forget” and “Weeds” to their collection of breakup songs, each contributing a slightly different sound with that Diamandis flavor her fans can’t get enough of.
Diamandis avoids the labels she’s drawn in her two previous albums with “Can’t Pin Me Down,” while in “Savages” she boils down the essence of human existence. Listeners will be happy to know that the tongue-in-cheek commentary hasn’t gone anywhere.
Diamandis reminds listeners of her favorite flourish with “Immortal,” an ending track hearkening back to the style of “Fear and Loathing,” only now she’s confronting death and talking about what gets left behind. The difference in subject matter marks the growth of Diamandis both as musician and a person.
“Froot” is Diamandis’ most successful album to-date, giving listeners something new and nutritious to chew on.
