Movie rating: 2 Star

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

Lana Del Rey has been causing quite a stir among musos for the last six months. The artist formerly known as Lizzy Grant (her real name) first surfaced halfway through last year with the stunning 'Video Games' and her equally stunning appearance on Later with...Jools Holland teased the emergence of a supreme talent. Del Rey's smoky, lounge act-styled vocals have similar allure to some of Nancy Sinatra's back catalogue and her pouty lips and sultry image are a music marketer's dream. So she's the total package, right? Well, not quite.

Born To Die isn't a great album but it does have a couple of great songs on it and that, fundamentally, is the problem. The two best songs on the album, 'Video Games' and title track 'Born To Die', had already been thoroughly dissected prior to the album's release but the problem is that tracks of the quality of these are few and far between among the 15 song collection and the emotional power of the album diminishes as it progresses.

Del Reys vocal style errs closer to reading than singing at various points throughout the album, save for occasional and completely ill-advised forays into rap which seem completely out of context to the rest of the record which begs the question if this is the type of album that Lana Del Rey wanted to make, or was told to make. She is clearly the possessor of musical talent, but the majority of Born To Die isn't a good showcase for it.

Review by John Balfe | 09:00 | Tuesday 31st January 2012 | Album Review

Comments

orlac

agreed!

Posted 16:39 | Wed 15th Feb 2012
well_keen

true one brillliant song - "video games" which seemed to say something not said before but the rest is average and vacuous.

Posted 22:17 | Thu 16th Feb 2012
Glenn

Cant dis agree with John Balfe more... he must of listened to the album once... songs like "Dark Paradise" and "Carmen" are worth the entrance fee alone.... listen to it again and again and again....There's not much better out there

Posted 23:09 | Sun 19th Feb 2012
Rónan Murray

No, no no, The whole album is amazing.

Posted 17:46 | Fri 17th Feb 2012
well_keen

Actually I have revised my position - really like this album now! Pretty good stuff overall and gets better with repeated listens.

Posted 09:46 | Fri 30th Mar 2012
Ruth

Greta album... well worth the money.. love the songs "blue jeans" and "video games"

Posted 18:33 | Tue 24th Apr 2012
SeanMurphy91

I thought the album was overall very good. I liked most of the sings and I especially liked "Without You". I have seen her live performances and she may not be the best singer in the world but at least she sings live and writes her own music. You would have to be in the right mood to listen to her music, chilled or depressed :P. But I like that kind of music and sonically her music is amazing.

Posted 23:56 | Tue 18th Sep 2012
ArronByrne

Definately worth buying, one of the best albums i purchased ever!

Posted 13:42 | Sun 20th May 2012
ArronByrne

excellent album worth buying 10/10

Posted 14:10 | Sun 20th May 2012

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