MARINA And The Diamonds may strike some as a second-rate Lana Del Rey at first listen but she manages to hold her own in her new album, Electra Heart.

Marina Diamandis, or better known as her stage name Marina And The Diamonds, burst into the music scene in late 2009 when the Welsh singer-songwriter was placed second in “BBC Sound of 2010” poll, an esteemed recognition which honours the most promising talents, as voted by top British music critics.

Right away, Diamandis became music’s “it” girl, evident by the success of her debut album The Family Jewels. The album was certified silver (sales amounting to at least 60,000 albums in Britain), even before it was released. And within the same year, she earned herself the Best UK & Irish Act honour at the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards.

The singer is showing no signs of slowing down in her sophomore effort, Electra Heart. With the exception of her less-than-amusing Madonna-in-the-80s-inspired makeover, the album is Diamandis’ strongest work yet.

The lead single Primadonna has a hauntingly real message that pokes fun at girls who meaninglessly pursue the lifestyle of the rich and the famous.

This feeling of emptiness brought upon by our material obsessed society dominates the album lyrically in songs like Living Dead and Teen Idle.

Musically, the album is a hodge-podge of diverse musical styles. The album’s opener Bubblegum B**** is a rebellious punk rock number that reminds one of a young Gwen Stefani. Diamandis balances all that angst and reveals her wide vocal range with mellow, slow-tempo tracks Valley Of The Dolls and Lies. But the gloomy singer can have fun too, taking on some sassy dance beats in Radioactive.

Most importantly, Diamandis proves she can remain true to her indie roots while maintaining some commercial appeal in radio-friendly tracks like State Of Dreaming and Hypocrates.

From the looks of Electra Heart, Marina And The Diamonds is fast becoming the priceless commodity her name suggests.