Froot (Anniversary Edition)＜Colored Vinyl＞

Following the success of her 2012 sophomore effort, the slick if highly conceptual Electra Heart, Marina and the Diamonds' singer/songwriter Marina Diamandis eschewed the multi-producer/co-writer approach she took with that album, choosing instead to write all the music on her own and record with just one producer, Dave Kosten (Brooke Fraser, Bat for Lashes). The choice was a smart one, and Marina and the Diamonds' third studio album, 2015's Froot, is an atmospheric, sophisticated work that finds Diamandis coming into her own as an artist. Recorded with Kosten and a working band, Froot combines everything that was uniquely tantalizing, and pugnaciously feminist, about her debut, while also retaining just enough of the enthusiastic pop hooks and dance beats of Electra Heart to keep things from getting too serious -- and there is a lot of seriousness on Froot. Cuts like the shadowy "I'm a Ruin" and the languid "Immortal" are airy, introspective epics that recall the cinematic balladry of Annie Lennox. Even the propulsive and ultimately empowering "Forget" finds Diamandis cutting to the bone with confessions like, "Yeah, I've been dancing with the Devil. I love that he pretends to care." But Froot isn’t all dark tones. On the contrary, Diamandis, never one to shy away from sugary high camp, imbues much of Froot with a fluorescent, celebratory independence, both musically and lyrically. Cuts like the crisp, '80s electro-infused "Savages," and the hip-swaying, new wave-sounding "Gold" juxtapose funky slap-and-pop basslines with shimmery synths, as Diamandis' headmistress of a voice (a husky Marlene Dietrich one minute, an operatic Kate Bush the next) soars above buoyant, pulsating rhythms. This sharply independent technique is perhaps best expressed on the fertile, tango-inflected title track, in which Diamandis revels in her newfound artistic and womanly freedom. She coos," I'm your carnal flower, I'm your bloody rose/Pick my petals off and make my heart explode/I'm your deadly nightshade, I'm your cherry tree/You're my one true love, I'm your destiny." Ultimately, with Froot, Diamandis has crafted an arch, swaggeringly impressive album that balances its pop sweetness with a deep-rooted maturity. ~ Matt Collar

曲ごとに異なるクリエイターを迎え、全英No.1を記録した前作から3年。3枚目となるこの新作では、プロデュースをマリーナ自身とフォルトラインが担当し、演奏もエヴリシング・エヴリシングのジェレミーやキュアーのジェイソンら固定のメンバーに委ねています。"Primadonna"のような飛び道具はありませんが、そのぶん統一感があり、アルバムとしての完成度は過去最高と言えましょう。ネオン・ゴールド得意のロッキッシュなエレポップもダンクラっぽいナンバーも、どこか影を帯びていて、欧州らしい耽美で甘美な雰囲気。言うなれば、カイリー・ミノーグmeetsフローレンス・ウェルチ!? USチャートで初のTOP10入りを果たすなど、何やら彼女を次のステージへと導く一枚になりそうですよ!
bounce (C)山西絵美