Review Summary: Quite good... when you're in the proper mood
There is much debate over whether Lana Del Rey’s image is authentic or not, with some accusing her of being a personality that was constructed by the record industry. I, however, am not concerned with this. Let’s talk about the music.
‘Ultraviolence’ is a markedly different album from Lana’s debut. However, some aspects of her music have carried over from ‘Born to Die’, including Lana’s vocal range (from sonorous to child-like) as well as her lyrical topics. You probably already know if these aspects of Lana’s music are tolerable or not to you personally. As for the alterations, the hip-hop influence present over much of Lana’s debut album is gone, replaced by the more tried-and-true backings of good ol’ rock ‘n roll (there’s even a guitar solo or two). While this doesn’t fundamentally signify a better product, the implementation is superior on ‘Ultraviolence’.
In fact, the production as a whole is a large step up this time around. Atmospheric, moody, and, as the largest shift from ‘Born to Die’, consistent, the soundtrack is a treat throughout. Guitars are for the most part ubiquitous, but violins, orchestra, and synthesizers are also used to great effect.
While the sonic consistency of the album could be listed as a strength, it is really a double-edged sword, as the lack of variations can make the album boring to listen to in one sitting. This is somewhat offset by ejecting just a little bit of hopefulness into the gloom. This is done effectively on all of the album’s best tracks, such as the opener ‘Cruel World’, which is probably a large part of what keeps it from dragging even after six minutes. While ‘Shades of Cool’ begins on a very melancholic tone, Lana’s unique singing and the orchestral backings combine for a truly uplifting and beautiful chorus. ‘Brooklyn Baby’ is the most upbeat song on here by a large margin, and does so without sounding out of place. While the lyrics epitomize Lana’s ‘le wrong generation’ ethos, sonically it is quite pleasing and a necessary tonal diversion.
Where the album takes a large dip in quality is when the music becomes hopelessly sorrowful. ‘Pretty When I Cry’ contains singing on the verses so languid as to become grating. ‘Sad Girl’ is a borderline parody of the rest of the album, with the chorus consisting of the repeated refrain “I’m a sad girl, I’m a sad girl, I’m a sad girl.” Subtle. ‘***ed My Way Up to the Top’ contributes nothing to the album. And although this isn’t quite part of the same tangent, the addition of ‘The Other Woman’ was unnecessary as ‘Old Money’ would’ve made a great closer.
Ultimately, ‘Ultraviolence’ is a pretty big step up for Lana Del Rey. The songs on offer here are of consistent tone, sound, and (for the most part) quality. While Lana’s lyrical topics remain within her comfort zone, I found the analysis of these topics a bit more interesting on this album (Lana even has a few uncharacteristically independent moments, such as when she announces that “my boyfriend’s pretty cool, but he’s not as cool as me”). The lack of tonal variation means that Lana Del Rey created an album that is quite good, when you’re in the proper mood.
