Ultraviolence

I'm so out of touch when it comes to contemporary music that I falsely dismiss some people because I assume they're like someone else. All I knew about Lana Del Rey is that she said a dumb thing about wanting to die young, and that Eminem wanted to punch her in the face. I assumed she was yet another disposable pop star. But then I read people who were not thirteen years old praising her album, Ultraviolence, as one of the best in the year. I bought it, and while I wouldn't say that I loved it, I was intrigued by it.

I'm not sure how to classify her music. Wikipedia calls it "Dream pop," or even more mysteriously, "Baroque pop," whatever that is. I would also say there are elements of jazz and lounge to her style, a smokey sophistication that is miles ahead of pop tarts like Ariana Grande or Katy Perry. This young lady has some stuff.

There is a dreamy quality to her music, full of hypnotic melodies and smooth sounds. One thing I dislike about the album is that many of the songs sound the same, and even after several listens there are only a few songs that I could identify. One of them, the very fine "Old Money," steals a bar or two from the theme of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.

Lyrically Del Rey is strong (she co-wrote all songs, so I don't know if the lyrics are hers or not). She doesn't have a lyric sheet printed, but kindly offers a few lines from each song. From "Old Money" we get:

"Blue hydrangea, cold cash divine,
cashmere, cologne and white sunshine."

From "Cruel World" comes:

"I shared my body and
my mind with you--
that's all over now.
I did the best I could,
I've found somebody new."

Del Rey also doesn't hesitate about using profanity, earning a nice warning sticker. One of the songs can't even be said in polite company--"Fucked My Way up to the Top."

Vocally, Del Rey has an ethereal voice that simulate floating, occasionally hitting the high notes with elegance and grace. Ultraviolence is a decent album, and proves that I should actually know what I'm talking about before dismissing someone out of hand.