Lana Del Ray : " Norman Fucking Rockwell"

Was joking with a friend on Facebook saying this album by Lana Del Ray is heavier than the new Tool. In some ways such as lyrically this is not a joke. Once area where this is a success is in terms of how she retains her distinct trademark sound without recycling ideas or borrowing from old songs in hopes of recycling them. than  With the "Ultra Violence " she hit her stride and has continued down a road of very resolute song writing.  I think the biggest change is this moves away from the 60s soul sound popularized Amy Winehouse and goes in a more folk direction. Even on the singles like "Venice Bitch" the hooks are not overtly poppy, but these are song that stick with you. I think another win is the quality of production and how goods the sounds she has captured here sound. One of my complaints for artists this year is they have good sounds , but not good songs. This is not the case here. She proves that you can keep the focus on both.  One "Venice Bitch " it sounds like they are jamming mid way into the song.

The melancholy draped over the songs, is not as depressing as it is bleakly jaded. There is a hint of desperation to "Fuck It I Love You", Her approach to phrasing really shifts on this song as well and provides another dynamic color to the album.It is like she is the new Portishead, without copping their  sound. "Doin Time" is another single , though most of songs could be singles, in fact I could see her selling this album really well due to this fact.The kind of jazzy trip hop grooves continue on this song .Six song deep when we get to "Lover Song" which is not a Cure cover. We get to this first moment that is marginally less compelling than the first five songs. I think this is because it lacks the grooves the others had is more stripped down and minimal.  It does grow on me. Midway into the album we beginning to lose a little of the momentum as it slows into more ballad like tempos. There is a weird mix of where the more retro 60s feel meets trip hop on " How to Disappear".  The  more fragile sound of "California" relies on her vocal lines to carry the song rather than the timid piano parts.

"The Next Best American Record" is closer to what she did on her last album, until you get to the chorus and a more trip hop like element creeps back in. There is more of a subtle country twang going into "the Greatest".  We begin to hear similar sounds toward the end of the album. There is much more piano and less of a live band feel backing her. It closes with "Hope is a Dangerous Thing..." . The album goes out with a whimper, but the intensity of normal sounds is rather sedate. I will give this one a 9.5 ,as the first five songs are fucking incredible, then it drops down to being well written songs that are true to who she is.