There was speculation as to whether we'd hear from Lana Del Rey again. The singer-songwriter claimed she'd "already said everything [she] wanted to say" after the release of 2012's Born to Die. However, by February 2013 there was word that Del Rey had started to work on an album. And now we have Ultraviolence. The sound carries on the cinematic tropes that her fans have grown to love, but it is more stripped down than past efforts. She recorded the album with the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach as well as past collaborators Paul Epworth and Daniel Heath. The pace is slow and syrupy, building layers of guitars behind Del Rey's sultry vocals. Orchestras swell in the background in some places, but copious amounts of reverb is what really fills the space. Check out lead off singles "West Coast," "Shades of Cool," "Ultraviolence," and "Brooklyn Baby" for a taste of what Ultraviolence has in store for you.

• black double vinyl pressing
• original release year: 2014
  
• music label: Interscope Records 2022

reviewed by Le Haim 06/2014