"Fear" is the Breezy, Melancholy Album we Needed

It is hard to describe “Fear”, the second half to MARINA’s Love + Fear Collection.

Even if the album is about anxiety and being afraid, it is laced with a sense understanding and maturity that transcends modern SadGirl™ music. This isn’t music to listen to when you want to wallow in your sadness, but rather an album to put on when you want to understand why you feel the way you do. MARINA has been making music for 10 years and she has learned a lot about life and love. “Fear” is filled with these little lessons from her own experience.

There is an incredibly unified sound to “Fear” that is quite different than the other half of the album, “Love”. This half of the album is virtually married to the drum kit; every song has a strong beat and percussion that give it a consistent rhythm. The piano from “Love” is long gone and has been replaced with strings and a synth. You could dance to almost any song on this album, but alternatively, it has a strong pulse that edges you forward.

The standout songs for me are “You” “Karma” and “Soft to be Strong”. This is subject to change however, because I like all 8 of the newly released tracks. If you were hoping for “Electra Heart” era club bops you won’t find them here, because this album has a much more grounded approach. These are not songs to party to as much as they are songs to live to, and pop needs more of that.

Cover image via