Marina Elezovic is an artist shaped by two worlds. Canada left her with a sense of endless spaces and northern clarity, whilst Croatia gifted her the softness, warmth, and intimacy inherent to southern culture. In her music, these contrasts interweave naturally: the breadth of northern horizons meets the closeness of southern sun.

The mix of indie-folk with Americana emerged organically, with added bluesy shades and light rock accents. Her new album Mixtapes creates an impression of a living, sincere experience that simultaneously comforts and excites the listener’s curiosity. When I began exploring Mixtapes, I immediately noticed the producer Sam Beer’s name in the credits — his work from London studios has always been distinguished by quality, living sound. When I saw that mixing and mastering was done by Adam Sezler, it became even more intriguing. This man worked with Fleet Foxes, with REM, understands atmospheric music like no other. Such professionals usually take on projects where they see real potential.

The first tracks showed they weren’t wrong about Marina. The sound turned out warm, enveloping, yet very personal. Each instrument was recorded with understanding of the overall picture. The guitars breathe, Marina’s vocals sit exactly where they need to, the rhythm section supports rather than oppresses. You can feel serious recording school, but most importantly — the album remained alive, sincere.

Marina Elezovic knows how to do what many indie-folk artists have forgotten — create complete albums. Everyone makes singles for streaming services now, playlists have become more important than records, but here we have a real story from first to last song.

“The Sinner” immerses in melancholy, but such a bright one that you want to remain in this state a bit longer. Marina’s voice here is particularly penetrating — transparent, almost weightless, but with depth. There is strength in this transparency. I was struck by how organically she switches between intimacy and broader sound.

“Mama I Don’t Wanna Play The Blues Anymore” begins the conversation quietly, almost in a whisper, and you immediately understand — she knows what she’s doing. Acoustic guitar, voice at the front, no superfluous effects. Simply music. It creates a sense of trust, as if she’s addressing you personally.

The turning point is the track “Brother”. Here there’s more movement, the rhythm is bolder, but intimacy is preserved. After this song the album changes mood, becomes more confident. If before there were mainly soft and contemplative compositions, then afterwards more confident and saturated ones appear.

The title track “Mixtapes” expands the sonic palette, adding bluesy colours and a light drive. Rhythm appears, the music seems to spread its wings, setting a feeling of freedom. Here Marina shows she can work with dynamics — the album breathes, changes, develops. This is a quality that’s far from present in every work, where usually all songs sound the same, as if the artist trembles and fears to stray from the discovered formula.

“Dancing In Limbo (Feat La Lomeli)” is built on playing with rhythm — sometimes slowing down, sometimes picking up pace, creating a sense of emotional waves. The vocals sound sometimes close, sometimes moving further into the mix, which makes perception particularly interesting. The finale turned out strong — Marina leaves the listener with a feeling of completeness, but with a light comma. After this track you want to return to the beginning and live through it all again.

“Just Like You” is built on long harmonies and echo, creating an atmosphere of light fog. The track is atmospheric, leaving a sense of space where sound seems to dissolve.

“The Edge” confirms this — the guitars are denser, drums create a powerful foundation, Marina’s voice gains strength and confidence. During listening I noted how organically she switches from chamber delivery to more driving.

The contemporary music industry often demands immediate recognisability from artists, a bright hook from the first seconds. TikTok and Spotify algorithms dictate their rules — if you haven’t hooked in 15 seconds, then you’ve missed. Marina chose a different path — she gives the listener time, allows the music to unfold gradually. And it works. The album opens softly, almost intimately, creating special closeness. After just a couple of songs you understand that before you lies a complete work where every detail matters. Mixtapes sounds complete from first to last second. Each song stands in its place, logically flows from the previous one. The album resembles a conversation with a close person — there are quiet moments, there are emotional surges, there are pauses for reflection. Marina shares personal experiences, but they are universal — everyone will find something of their own in them. Her lyrics are honest, the music supports them perfectly, and it’s impossible to separate one from the other.

The title Mixtapes is deliberate — a subtle nod to the days when favourite songs were carefully recorded onto cassettes. Across the album, indie-folk intertwines with Americana, bluesy inflections ripple into rock, and the expansive clarity of Canada fuses with the gentle warmth of Croatia. Two homelands, different languages, formative traditions shaping her vision of the world. Might this complex mixture underpin her music — unvarnished and sincere, because no other approach exists for her? The album unfolds as an elegant meditation on how identity is assembled from the scattered fragments of life.

The album works at any time of day, in any mood. Late evening in silence, on a morning walk, when you need to focus on yourself — everywhere Mixtapes sounds appropriate. This is a sign of truly quality music — it adapts to context whilst preserving its identity. I think this album will appeal to everyone who values sincere atmospheric stories in music. Marina Elezovic is clearly not a newcomer to music, but you feel that her real journey is only beginning — and it promises to be long, with many turns. But already now she understands the main thing — music should be honest.

Mixtapes has already become part of my life — that music which remains with you even when you switch off the headphones. And… I’m glad it turned out this way.

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