Marina and the Diamonds release career defining album

Marina Diamandis, more commonly known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds, released her second album Electra Heart last month and after her stellar debut album, The Family Jewels was released a few years back. Diamandis is at her best on this album and while her debut could be a little tedious, this album only has a few songs that don't live up.
The album opens with the best song of Diamandis' career as well as one of the best songs of this year "Bubblegum Bitch." The song is an uptempo dance-rock song and it introduces the concept of the album, following the life of Electra Heart. "Dear diary, I met a boy. He made my dull heart light up with joy. Dear diary, we fell apart. Welcome to the life of Electra Heart," Marina sings at the end of the second verse. "Bubblegum Bitch" is so successful because it exemplifies what the character Electra Heart is about. The right mix of sexuality, frustration and pure sadness.
Diamandis shines on other uptempo songs like "Sex Yeah" and the singles "Radioactive," "Primadonna" and "How To Be A Heartbreaker."
In addition to the faster songs, Diamandis shines on the ballads. "Lies" features dubstep inspired piano-filled beats and lyrics about knowing a lover is done with you but would rather lie to keep you happy instead of breaking her heart with the truth. Diamandis clearly knows that her lover has moved on emotionally but she'd rather him lie to her. The song is one of the best on the album.
Another ballad that shines is "Teen Idle." The song which is about the youth of today and calls to mind some of Lana Del Rey's best moments. "I wanna stay inside all day. I want the world to go away. I want blood, guts, and chocolate cake," Diamandis sings in the pre-chorus. This song is what Diamandis does best. Her lyrics can sometimes contain a sarcastic punch that recalls Lily Allen or early Katy Perry.
The only songs on the album that are not on the same level as the rest of the album are "Hypocrites," Valley of the Dolls" and "Fear and Loathing." These three ballads lack any interesting qualities. They aren't bad, they just seem to be filler.
All in all Marina and the Diamonds shines on this album and she is clearly on her way to big things. Electra Heart is sure to have fans of her satisfied and new fans will be flocking to this album. There's no sophomore slump here.