In recent weeks, critiques and defenses flooding all over the internet in the days leading up to the "Born To Die" album's official release in January 31th 2011. Before we start to join the conversation about Lizzy Grant (known as Lana Del Rey) and her hotly anticipated debut "Born To Die", let's table opinions for a few paragraphs and talk about facts.
It's a fact that we've played Lana Del Rey's songs 886 times since the EP released last year. It's a fact that we've caught ourself singing or humming several tunes of Born to Die and Video Games during this period. It's a fact if both or her singles struck on our nerve because of an eerie perfection of form, lyric, and melody. It's a miraculous touch, no doubt.
So the question now, how about Del Rey's full length album? The album is perfectly crafted for a debut artist if we highlight the strings and the calculated production. The only thing that messes up is that many of the songs tread the same lyrical territory, half here make reference to death; eight are love songs to bad men; the rest are drug and drunk blonde girl. Maybe it's all artifice style without substance, offering glimmers of artistic inspiration but too often resorting to easy tricks and gimmickry.
Still tracks like Born to Die, Video Games, and Blue Jeans makes this album worth listening to, plus other catchy track like Diet Mountain Dew which part of an album standout. Other than this, is where the fatique starts to sink in.
We disagree with cynical debates about her lack vocal and performance. Mostly cursed her after SNL hyped, just a suggestion try to watch her performance at Poolside at Chateau Marmont on YouTube, you would be impressed with the intimacy of her breathy vocal. Maybe she's just an aspiring singer who wasn't ready to make an album yet, but still she's a singer.
Born to Die isn't perfect, its below expectation. Del Rey's music better listened in private for now, because her lyric is mean so much more than her musicality but we believe her persona will have a moment in the future. Again.
Photography Sean + Seng. Image courtesy of Interview Magazine
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