Lana Del Rey has always been an enigma to me. Her music is nothing short of captivating and fascinating – everything from her early, unreleased demos to her most current work has her signature sound attached to it. When you hear a song by Lana, there is no mistaking that it is quintessentially Lana. Today, she has dropped her latest collection – Honeymoon, the follow up to 2014’s Ultraviolence that proved a success but slowly fizzled out for me, in the shadows of her first major release, Born To Die and its Paradise expansion - a collection that remains one of my favourite albums ever. She is truly one of my favourite artist and I pray that Honeymoon continues my love.
Born To Die offered a mixture of eclectic and
versatile tracks and sounds that Ultraviolence lacked. Del Rey promises that
Honeymoon returns more towards the Born To Die vibe, leaving myself and her
dedicated fanbase enthralled at what is to come. High By The Beach has been one
of my favourite tracks this year, with promotional singles Music To Watch Boys
To, Terrence Loves You and the titular track looking promising – but how does
the album shape up as a whole? Find out my 'first impression' ranking of the
13 new tracks (discounting the beautiful Burnt Norton interlude) that form Honeymoon and a mini summary of the album as a whole, below.
High By The Beach
24
Salvatore
Swan Song
The Blackest Day
God Knows I Tried
Art Deco
Religion
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Freak
Music To Watch Boys To
Honeymoon
Terrence Loves You
You know it's a brilliant album when the 'weakest' track is still incredibly strong and enjoyable. The album is laced with Lana's signature sound, which she has continued to build as she reaches her third major label release, this time refining it and striking the perfect balance between Born To Die and Ultraviolence, evident specifically through Freak. High By The Beach is incredibly infectious, while Salavatore offers an Italian 'New World' vibe and 24 is the perfect Bond cinematic soundtrack theme that didn't happen (but should have happened).
The Blackest Day displays some of the most beautiful songwriting on the record, with God Knows I Tried illustrating her struggle to come to terms with her fame. Art Deco, Religion and Freak are some of the more diverse and experimental sounds on the record, whilst Honeymoon and Terrence Loves You acts as the bridge from Ultraviolence. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is a beautiful cover and tribute at the end of the album that encompasses many of the themes and issues displayed throughout the album. Rest assured though, Lana seems to have found out who she is on the record and we love her all the more for it.
High By The Beach
24
Salvatore
Swan Song
The Blackest Day
God Knows I Tried
Art Deco
Religion
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Freak
Music To Watch Boys To
Honeymoon
Terrence Loves You
You know it's a brilliant album when the 'weakest' track is still incredibly strong and enjoyable. The album is laced with Lana's signature sound, which she has continued to build as she reaches her third major label release, this time refining it and striking the perfect balance between Born To Die and Ultraviolence, evident specifically through Freak. High By The Beach is incredibly infectious, while Salavatore offers an Italian 'New World' vibe and 24 is the perfect Bond cinematic soundtrack theme that didn't happen (but should have happened).
The Blackest Day displays some of the most beautiful songwriting on the record, with God Knows I Tried illustrating her struggle to come to terms with her fame. Art Deco, Religion and Freak are some of the more diverse and experimental sounds on the record, whilst Honeymoon and Terrence Loves You acts as the bridge from Ultraviolence. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is a beautiful cover and tribute at the end of the album that encompasses many of the themes and issues displayed throughout the album. Rest assured though, Lana seems to have found out who she is on the record and we love her all the more for it.
