Lana Del Rey's Born To Die is a distinct 'debut' album that polarised opinions from critics. Some hailed her authenticity and emotive performance while others found her high pitched timbre and contradictory low gravelly jazz tones unpleasant. Both opinions aside, Born To Die went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide and as incohesive and random as it is, it is one of the most intriguing albums to come out of 2012.
The problem with Born To Die is that it doesn't gel, dipping in and out of themes and identities so often that you never get a sense of who Lana Del Rey is. The beauty of songs such as Born To Die and Blue Jeans is countered by frustrating and forgettable tracks like Carmen and Million Dollar Man. What Lana needed to do was show us who she is, consistently. Thankfully, the identity she portrays on third studio album Ultraviolence is far more accessible, relatable and grounded than the retro noir mistress acted on her last. There's nobody better at portraying 'black and white classic' than Lana Del Rey and when you couple this with the production of Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) you have the starlet and the auteur.
The theme of Ultraviolence is clear from the offset, this is an album about loss of love. Cruel World is a great introductory track and at over 6 minutes it's the album's longest track; a brave move so early on. "Shared my body and my mind with you/ That's all over now..." she sings with a rough jazz tone on the opening verse, before erupting into the higher end of her contralto range on the haunting chorus. It's a dark track and this is only amplified further with the title track that deals with the violent nature of turbulent relationships. The chorus is gorgeous, the vocal layers that have become her production staple so understated and oddly soothing in contrast to the lyrics "he hit me and it felt like a kiss...". Sad Girl is the first time the mistress from Born To Die appears, but on this occasion she's got plenty of soul; the one thing Lana never fails to deliver throughout this album is emotion.
The cinematic vibe of her debut is apparent on Ultraviolence, with many tracks begging to be on a Tarantino soundtrack. However, where Born To Die coupled bluesy riffs with hip hop quirks, Ultraviolence is much more consistent in its sound. It remains film noir to an extent, but it's not as superficial in its material or erratic in pace like its predecessor. It replaces the hip hop aspect with electric guitars and thumping blues percussion, like on the sumptuous Shades of Cool and hipster ode Brooklyn Baby. Whether the latter is an ode or a jibe to New York hipster culture is hard to tell, but it's an album highlight with a striking melody and brilliant chorus: "Well my boyfriend's in the band/ He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed/ I've got feathers in my hair/ I get down to beat poetry". It's lead single West Coast that stands out from everything else though. From the opening drums and blues-funk bass guitar riff, this is one of 2014's most accomplished productions.
Ultraviolence's second half isn't as captivating as the first, but it remains interesting enough to keep your attention. Pretty When You Cry ends on strong form, but the first 75% of the track is lacklustre and the same can be said of Fucked My Way To The Top. Although neither is bad, they just don't match the standards set by earlier tracks. Thankfully, things are picked up by the stunning Old Money, a violin backed and piano led ballad with an incredibly emotive vocal arrangement; here she becomes Lana Del Rey. Similarly, the emotive quality of her voice is strong on closing track The Other Woman, a retro blues number written by Jessie Mae Robinson. Rather than record it as a 21st Century track, Auerbach's production ensures the authenticity of the song is maintained and Lana's performance makes this feel like a genre classic. It's Money Power Glory that takes things up a level though, with a wonderfully heady chorus backed by an elegant arrangement which erupts with a roaring electric guitar in the middle eight.
Ultraviolence is a vast improvement on Lana Del Rey's Born To Die. The subject matter is much more consistent, although there are smatterings of the femme fatale who craves drugs, cash and sex. She's not as intrusive this time round though and when she does appear she's relatable, down to Lana's emotive vocal performances. The tone of the album is steady, never veering off course. The tempo doesn't fluctuate beyond mid and although you'd think this would be a bore, it's a blessing. You can go into Ultraviolence expecting Lana Del Rey and you will come out with Lana Del Rey. She's vulnerable, emotionally bruised and beautiful because of it.
4 / 5
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