Rating: 7/10
I’ve been a fan of Marina and the Diamonds ever since 2010’s The Family Jewels came out. When Electra Heart was released, I liked it– sort of, but I wasn’t as impressed with the alter-ego as I was with her debut release. Still, Marina never really makes anything bad, and even the songs I don’t love, I still like. However, now, with the excitement around Froot, I wasn’t too sure what to expect.
As always, Marina delivers the solid, deep, never-failing strength of her own voice, which carries the album even when some of the songs don’t. Froot opens with “Happy,” which seemed like a purposeful decision– although I wasn’t a fan of the slow ballad, it was unlike most typical Marina songs. Still, the record offers some good songs, even if some of them are slower and more heartfelt than what we’re come to expect from Marina. “Weeds,” track 10 on the album, is a light-footed and tender, beautiful recording that still hints at the previous vibes of old Marina. On the other hand, “Savages” is familiar and exciting, a good song that I enjoyed listening to and played back a few times.
The album itself is interesting– it differs from The Family Jewels, which in turn differs from Electra Heart. Froot seems, most often, like a softer version of the two previous albums mixed together and thrown into a blender. I don’t think Froot could have happened without the influence of Electra Heart– the album or the character.
Marina continues to craft well-produced, interesting music. Although Froot isn’t a superior, ultimate album like The Family Jewels was, it was still enjoyable and I found myself bopping along to a few of the tracks. Still, it’s hard for me to look at Froot as a stand-alone album, because I keep comparing it to her older work, which gets in the way of me being able to appreciate it as a good album. Truthfully? I thought it would be better. Still, not too severely disappointed– I still enjoyed getting through it.
