Ultraviolence (CD)

Ultraviolence see's Lana Dey Rey shifts gears considerably, building a thick, slow-moving atmosphere with its languid songs and opulent arrangements. Gone are the big beats and glossy production that resulted in tracks like Summertime Sadness. Instead, Ultraviolence begins with the protracted, rolling melancholia of Cruel World, nearly seven minutes of what feels like a sad, reverb-drenched daydream. The song sets the stage for the rest of the album, which simmers with a haunted, yearning feeling but never boils over. Even the most pop-friendly moments here are steeped in patient, jazz-inflected moodiness, as with the sad-eyed longing of Shades of Cool or the unexpected tempo changes that connect the slinky verses of single West Coast to their syrupy, swaying choruses.

Ultraviolence thrives for the most part in its density, meant clearly to be absorbed as an entire experience, with even its weaker pieces contributing to a mood that's consumptive, sexy, and as eerie as big-budget pop music gets Del Rey explains, 'The record is beautiful - it's so wrong and exquisite. It is absolutely gorgeous - darker than the first.'

Tracklist:

  1. Cruel World 
  2. Ultraviolence 
  3. Shades Of Cool 
  4. Brooklyn Baby 
  5. West Coast 
  6. Sad Girl 
  7. Pretty When You Cry 
  8. Money Power Glory 
  9. Fucked My Way Up To The Top 
  10. Old Money 
  11. The Other Woman