Marina - Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land

Marina Diamandis has always been one of the most high-camp, high-concept (and under-appreciated!) pop stars we’ve got. After dropping her eponymous Diamonds in 2019, it felt like she’d lost her way a little bit; ‘Love + Fear’ was missing some of her usual sparkle, save for a couple of outstanding ballads, but ‘Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land’ sees her return to her old self.

It’s wonderfully groovy right from the off, the title-track tapping into old Marina and revisiting the sound of her debut album while kicking it up a notch, its one of her most unabashedly fun and vibrant songs in a while, and lays the foundations for the more socially-charged direction the record takes lyrically.

The first single ‘Man’s World’ is grown-up ‘Electra Heart’, bringing the feminism she’s always been vocal about into her music properly. It’s surprisingly fresh and those signature sublime high notes are always a delight. ‘New America’ picks up where ‘Hollywood’ left off in 2010, proving our Marina always saw the USA’s dirty secrets, and ‘Venus Fly Trap’ is a fun and funky track built around the cheeky “Why be a wallflower when you could be a Venus Fly Trap?” refrain.