Marina has never been one to shy away from difficult topics in her music, and her new release Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land takes this to the next level.
Ancient Dreams In A Modern World is a psychedelic hyper-pop sensation, which tackles topics ranging from love to feminism, and generally everything that's awful in the world right now. From the get-go, with the opening title track, we get a taste of what's to come with a synthy thumping bass beat and lyrics like "What's your purpose, why were you put on Earth? / You could be lost but you belong to the world / We're now living in a seminal age / The walls are being broken and we're ready for change."
The singles, specifically 'Man's World' and 'Purge the Poison' individually were very intense when released individually, however, when they're put together on an album where these worldly themes are discussed consistently, suddenly they make sense and don't feel as harsh as they did previously.
Although the album is short, it feels like it says what it wants to say in the 10 songs. If it were any longer it may feel like it was going too far, or too over-the-top, but it doesn't. It's succinct, and it packs a punch in the limited running time.
Marina has clearly found her place in the world, and simultaneously, found herself in the pop music world. This album really doesn't sound like anything else out now, which allows it to be a breath of fresh air.
The first half of the album acts as a hardcore and intense commentary on being a woman, being famous, and being at the height of privilege. However, the second half of the album takes a slightly slower turn. It would be easy for the listener to only remember the first half of the album, but the second half draws you in just as much, but with different tools.
'Pandora's Box' is a haunting piano-based ballad in which she "prays that hope's not lost". This song in particular showcases Marina's distinct and beautiful vocals, without the heavy production that can be found on previous tracks.
With the lackluster feel of her previous releases, it seems like Marina is finally back in her groove and not only creating music that is a pleasure to listen to, but has a meaningful message beyond the usual woes of love and break-ups. Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land is a masterful work of organised pop chaos that nobody saw coming. Or, at least, we didn't.
RATING: 8/10