2014 – Interscope Records
By Phillip Smith;
Aug. 30, 2014
Lana Del Rey’s
latest album, Ultraviolence, is one
my favorite releases of the year. Primed
with beautifully haunting melodies and angelic vocals, this thirteen track recording
is destined to be a timeless classic.
“Cruel World” kicks this
musical journey off, with ghostly echo-filled guitar licks and poetic psycho-dramatic
lyrics. Del Rey, like Pink Floyd,
is a master when it comes to dropping radically unsettling lyrics into calming,
yet sometimes psychedelic musical settings.
Title track, “Ultraviolence”,
disturbingly and insightfully reveals the inner thoughts of one trapped in a tumultuous
codependent relationship. The song plays out like a James Bond film theme, with
hypnotic vocals lightly accented with ultra-smooth synthesizer music. I love Del Rey’s playful vocals on “Shades of
Cool”, a high ranking song on my list of favorites. Blake Stranathan
lets loose a ripping guitar solo that blows through a wall of chaotic sound. Then as the dust settles, the listener is
gently tucked away into a calming bed of Del
Rey’s lulling voice.
The more I listen to Ultraviolence, the more I want to listen
to it. This album, and Lana Del Rey’s voice is almost as
addictive as the underlying subject matter she sings about.
