CD reviews: Marina and the Diamonds

A break-up album, written from the perspective of the person who did the breaking and is dealing with the repercussions, Marina and the Diamonds' third long-player might not completely do away with the dance-floor pop of sophomore album Electra Heart, but it is nonetheless a darker effort.

Welsh songwriter Marina Diamandis, who has a voice that sits somewhere between the cool, off-kilter strains of Nico (of Velvet Underground fame) and the ethereal quality of, say, Kate Bush, sets her songs of love and self-worth to a broad canvas that ranges from downbeat electronica (I'm A Ruin, Solitaire) to occasionally formulaic mid-'80s pop (Better Than That).

• Marina and the Diamonds. Froot. Warner Music.

•  Three stars (out of five)

Single download: Froot
For those who like: Bjork

- Shane Gilchrist