Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter
After a range of low-level successes in the form of singles and movie soundtrack nods, Lana Del Rey was poised for success. In December of 2014, Lana Del Rey revealed that she was working on a new full-length album in response to her work on “Ultraviolence.” Recently, the fruit of her labor was released in the form of “Honeymoon.” Her new album is the most “Lana”-esque album yet. Her hard work is recognized in this hour long work of art.
Del Rey is no stranger to drama and theatrics in her music, but this album takes the old Hollywood feel to new highs. The guitar riffs are met by equally eerie piano playing. The instrumentals complement Del Rey’s signature voice, without overpowering it in the slightest degree.
Del Rey sounds harrowing and like no other pop star on the market these days. She is able to maintain an air of mystery through the whole album. This is the most remorseful love album one will ever have the pleasure of listening to.
In the first track on the album, the title track, Del Rey belts, “We both know that it’s not fashionable to love me.” This is the perfect first line, because it sets the tone of the whole album. The song is a ballad about how Del Rey’s inability to please the public, and her general giving up on the cause. She is romantic and dramatic and has no intentions of changing for anyone or anything, regardless of the trends.
In the track, Del Rey croons and crawls through the lyrics but not to a fault. Her voice is beautiful and remnant of a 1920’s bar singer, not a twenty-first century pop super star.
Another standout track is “Terrence Loves You.” This track starts with a lonely guitar playing slowly and calmly. The guitar is met seamlessly by Del Rey’s crooning vocals. The chorus explodes with saxophone and piano. The guitar gets warmer, like Jimi Hendrix next to the saxophone.
I particularly appreciate the symbolism of the album’s title. In general, honeymoons are times to relax and get lost in the moment, but time is not a constraint on a honeymoon. This album has just that effect on the listener.
One second you are listening to Lana Del Rey’s methodic voice, and then you are somewhere else. It is so easy to get lost in this album. When you wake from your daydream, an hour has passed and the album is over.
Like the end of a vacation, you are left with an inexplicable sadness that can only be rectified by another listen. Vacations can never last or be sustained. Eventually, you have to let them go. And eventually, you need to turn this album off.
This is the most mature and all around great album fans have seen from Del Rey to date. Her unparalleled vocals fit perfectly with the sound of this album. It is like everything she has ever created mixed together and homogenized into a cohesive and flawless mix of old sounds and brand new sounds.
Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk
I liked this album a lot, especially compared to the one before it.