She might not have made any “Sound of…” lists this year, but I’ve been hearing about Marina and the Diamonds quite a bit over the last few months. And on Valentine’s Day 2009 (14th Feb to fellow non-romantics), Marina will drop her debut single Obsessions on the world.

The word most people are using in connection with Marina is “eccentric”, and it’s hard to argue with that synopsis.

Arjan is tipping Marina for big things this year, and considering the strength of the handful of songs she has on her MySpace page, I’d be inclined to agree. If you read this Guardian profile about her, they describe Marina’s vocal style as…

more like one of those kooky new wave girls like Lene Lovich, all whoops, hollers, cackles and shrieks that make her sound strangely mid-European.

And you know how much I like singers who sound mid-European! Read the rest of that Guardian piece for some more frightening information about her.

In short, I’m loving what I’m hearing so far, and I’m telling you about it so you can go out and listen to Marina too. You are her Diamonds, after all…