[Vocal Profile] Marina Diamandis (AKA Marina and the Diamonds )

Marina  Diamandis

Vocal Type: Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 3 Notes (A2-D6)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: The voice is brilliantly connected, meaning it's possible for Marina  Diamandis to switch effortlessly, and quickly, between parts of the voice. She also has excellent control so she is a singer that can recreate her studio renditions perfectly in a live setting.

Heavy, weighty, dark midrange that has an almost androgynous quality to it [Are You Satisfied]. It's a styling that the voice isn't limited to, meaning it is possible for Marina to lighten the sound considerably; lending to exceptionally unique harmonies being created by layering the two timbres [intro of Hermit The Frog].

The belting voice, much like the midrange, is full of attitude and individuality. It's more than often used in the lower extremes (the fourth octave) and carries through the weight and rounded quality of the bottom half of the range. As the voice hits the fifth octave Marina creates a tone that is very much head-voice dominant. This creates a sweeter, warmer sound, and one which is lighter by comparison. It's also possible for her to pull these characteristics down into the top half of the fourth octave. [Intro, Primadonna]. 

The head voice possesses the duality of the midrange so Marina can either produce a tone and timbre that is thick and controlled, or one that is akin to a falsetto, being breathy warm and light.

Vocal Negatives:Though her individual style is a plus in this world of copycat singers, it would be nice to hear Marina embellish that style occasionally with some more "Diva-ish" vocal skills- such as melisma, belted and sustained notes. We like our Divas to show off once in a while.

[Review] Kelly Clarkson "Catch My Breath"

Kelly Clarkson is giving me 80's goodness with her new single Catch My Breath. This is just what I needed from Ms Clarskson. After a string of high-octane, Pop-Rock tracks (Stronger, Darkside, Mr Know It All) I needed something a little more varied from the American Idol Winner to stop me getting Clarkson fatigue.

No need to worry though, it's not a total change of style for the singer. The voice is still a clear and present danger,  and the lyrics are far from generic: being a reflective take on her own musical journey so far. The singer-Songwriter explained the meaning of Catch My Breath on its release;

[New Music Video] Alicia Keys "Girl On Fire"

Alicia Keys needs to leave her husband at home when she hits the studio, because every new song I've heard from herself and Swizz Beatz contains the same aggressive beat, and the same aggressive vocal. Just check out the her new single, Girl On Fire, and tell me it doesn't have you reaching for the Paracetamol.

[Discuss] Cheryl Caught Miming During Performance of "Call My Name" @ Stand Up To Cancer

[UPDATE: I am so PEEVED. This post was removed from my blogger account, without any warning. Not only was it deleted- thank God I managed to find a cached version of the site to copy the content again- but there wasn't even a reason given. I am just going to assume it was removed because of the video, and SOMEONE not liking it being out there, so I shall remove that part of the post. If this gets deleted again, then I can only take that as an infringement of my right to free speech because there is no copyright issues going on here, just discussion. I really need to move away from Blogger]

Can someone please explain to me what happened to Cheryl's voice during her performance of Call My Name at the Stand Up To Cancer telethon.

It's my (completely uninformed) understanding that if you mime/lip-sync to a backing, the vocals and the music are mixed into the same audio track. I mean, what would be the point of recording the vocals separately and having a sound engineer/mixer be responsible for starting both tracks separately. It seems like a recipe for disaster.

[Watch] Leona Lewis & The Big C Choir Perform "Run" @ Stand Up To Cancer Telethon

Why Leona Lewis chose to sing her cover of Snow Patrol's Run at the Stand Up To Cancer telethon, I have no idea. It's not like she has a new album out to promote with plenty of suitable material-read the review of Leona's new album Glassheart, here- or even a back catalogue of her own hits to pick from(!) [/sarcasm]

Still, it's what she decided to sing, and the addition of the Big C Choir was a really touching surprise. One especially so for those who saw the accompanying documentary that followed the cancer patients journey as they formed their choir .

[Single Review] Girls Aloud Fail (Hard) With Comeback Single "Something New"

Oh fabulous Girls Aloud, what have you done!?

You were once at the forefront of pop music, churning out brilliantly catchy tunes that not only won you a legion of loyal fans, but done the seemingly impossible for a manufactured band and had the critics eating out of your manicured hands too. Then you went on "hiatus" and I cried!

Listening to your new single, Something New, makes me wonder if perhaps you should have stayed split.

[Album Review] Leona Lewis "Glassheart"

X-Factor winner Leona Lewis' third album, Glassheart, has been a long time coming. Originally scheduled for a 2011 release, already two years after her second album Echo, it was pushed back when its lead single Collide received a less than stellar reception from fans and music buyers alike.

To tide us over while Glassheart was being retooled there was the (pretty great) Hurt EP. But seeing as it consisted entirely of cover songs, it only added fuel to the "we want new music" fire.

Still, this week sees its release and I have my copy! But the question is: was Glassheart worth the wait? Well, if you love ballads, then yes. If you wanted something a little different from the Bleeding Love songstress, then not so much.

Below is my track by track review of the album.