[Polydor]
The queen of subliminal Daddy kink anthems and the self-proclaimed “gangster Nancy Sinatra” brings her fourth album to the table, Lust For Life (not a cover album of Iggy Pop, sorry).
Lead single ‘Love’ is ethereal, carried by a palm-muted bassline and Del Rey’s signature sleepy vocal delivery. Second single ‘Lust for Life’ offers a cameo by The Weeknd, a throbbing synth and Del Rey’s best phone sex hotline impersonation during the chorus. Low points are ‘Summer Bummer’ accompanied by A$AP Rocky and Playboi Carti (for some unknown reason), wrapped around trap-tinged melodies, and ‘Groupie Love’ has A$SAP Rocky again. This might be the weakest and most out of place guest offering on the record. ‘God Bless America – And All The Beautiful Women In It’ is empowering with a flamenco-styled guitar in the background. ‘Beautiful People Beautiful Problems’ features the Stevie Nicks with her now-matured velvety vocals.
Melodramatic string sections and hip-hop drums are sprinkled throughout most tracks, often making them indistinguishable on first listen. Lust For Life follows the same formula and sound of her past two albums Ultraviolence and Honeymoon that, to some fans, came off as records filled with slow burning ballads of forbidden love, misplaced drugs, repeat. Not essentially a bad thing because, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Sad-girl diva Del Rey encapsulates the essence of vintage summer memories and doe-eyed fantasies and pulls it off well. If you are a die-hard Lana fan you will love this seventy-one minute offering to listen to in your darkened bedroom on a rainy night after half a bottle of cheap whiskey.
