Review: Ultraviolence

After experiencing much success from previous releases Born to Die and Paradise, catapulting Lana Del Rey from Lizzie Grant-era obscurity to Billboard chart topper, her 3rd studio album Ultraviolence arrives to much fanfare.

However, it barely lives up to expectations and it’s not hard to figure out the cause.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Del Rey revealed that “she wishes she was dead already” and her album channels just that with a thick shroud of overdone gloominess blanketed over its repetitive tracks. Ultraviolence has the singer gracing the cover, this time in film noir black and white, a stark contrast to the saturated covers of Born to Die and Paradise.

The album opens with “Cruel World”, the songstress’ signature voice crooning about the hopelessness of the world, layered with tambourines and a 60s electric guitar. Unfortunately, that’s all the song can give, as you’ll be hard pressed to find any sort of conclusion to the lyrics or tune.

Ultraviolence spawned 4 singles, “West Coast”, “Shades of Cool”, “Brooklyn Baby” and “Old Money”, which are the more promising tracks from an otherwise murky pool of songs. “Shades of Cool” flows from angst-driven guitar riffs to a psychedelic chorus that shows off her vocals in the higher ranges. “Old Money” goes on like an endless dream with layered strings and beautiful chords complementing the lower range of Del Rey’s unique vocals. The rest of the songs however, with their multiple dreary personalities, are just there without impact.

The 4th single from the album was recently released with the usual Lana-esque filtered videography. It begins with quiet chords and builds into a chorus of “This is Ultraviolence / Ultraviolence / Ultraviolence / Ultraviolence / I can hear sirens sirens.”

The stark differences in production are evident in comparison to previous tracks like the heavily-orchestrated “National Anthem”or the over-dramatic “Ride”. The lyrics seem to revolve around a domestic violence, with a smattering of random Spanish text, nothing surprising in Del Rey’s typical literature.

Perhaps it’s not the shift in musical direction that’s alarming, but rather her writing instead, with title track “Ultraviolence” covering a narrow view of rich men who love to party, red dresses and copious amount of booze, including a song shamelessly titled “F***ed My Way To The Top”.

Del Rey’s music encompasses dark female archetypes but after 2 albums, these themes have become trite. Ultimately, Ultraviolence is a decent yet mundane attempt at sobriety but comes up short with overdone themes on the darker side of feminism.

Rating: 3/5

Tracklist:

1. Cruel World 6:39

2. Ultraviolence 4:11

3. Shades of Cool 5:42

4. Brooklyn Babe 5:51

5. West Coast 4:16

6. Sad Girl 5:17

7. Pretty When You Cry 3:54

8. Money Power Glory 4:30

9. Fucked My Way To The Top 3:32

10. Old Money 4:31

11. The Other Woman 3:01

Photos courtesy of Shore Media