You may be forgiven for thinking that this "new" artist looks rather familiar, and you'd be right. Introducing the new alter ego of Marina & The Diamonds, whose jaded return marks a surprising, yet strangely not unexpected, change in sound.
Electra Hart embodies "the lies, illusions and death of the American Dream". The emotional first track, Fear & Loathing, has the world-weariness of a gambler who's lost all her money in Vegas, while the video suggests that Marina (sorry, Electra) has returned to the casino's hotel. There, she cuts her hair just short of Britney-esque levels in a bid to escape herself.
The transition continues as the next song sees Ms Hart heading to the dancefloor, with the polished and upbeat, yet still idiosyncratic, Radioactive. There's something off-putting about the sudden shift in pace - the song is produced by Stargate (Norwegian knob-twiddlers for Rihanna, Ne-Yo) and is clearly a calculated stab at nabbing a David Guetta-style chart hit at last.
Even though there's a different vibe, the song's lyrics are classic Marina, chronicling a fear of love and a relationship breakdown - another chapter in the life of a singer whose unique selling point is her proud self-awareness.
It's undeniable that Marina/Electra has one of the best set of pipes in pop music today, yet there's something unnerving about her dogged introspection. It would be refreshing to hear her move away from her neuroses and cover new ground.
Despite those drawbacks, the Electra Hart enterprise could give her the success she needs. After coming 2nd on the BBC Sound of 2010 list (behind Ellie Goulding), her debut album The Family Jewels slid down the charts without providing any smash hits.
The name thing is confusing mind, but fear not! Her official releases will still come under her usual moniker, so no messy scrobbles on last.fm. For those of you after a more familiar recording of Radioactive - there's an acoustic version available to download for free on her website now. The original is released on 3rd October.
