What's the rush, Lana? "Ultraviolence", LDR's second album and first number one, was a giant leap forward in the star's ouevre of sultry and sedated torch-rock. Wonderfully tattered vocals from Del Rey, mixed with equally gritty production from Dan Auerbach, all blended seamlessly in a record that generated more acclaim than sales. Sure, "Ultraviolence" still went Gold, but its life-span on the charts didn't quite match up to the promise of its two-year gestation period. Maybe LDR wanted to release albums quicker than that, but didn't have the necessary inspiration. Cynics might suggest that releasing "Honeymoon", Del Rey's third album, so quickly after an underwhelming attempt at crossover success would imply that she's running back to comfortable territory after a stumble with the less familiar. Don't be fooled by either scenario: "Ultraviolence" wasn't an artistic failure by any stretch; even if it didn't match the sales of "Born to Die", it was still an accomplished triumph for an artist initially pegged as a fleeting phenomenon.
While "Ultraviolence" showed signs of longevity, though, "Honeymoon" by comparison can't help but feel like a step backward in some regard. Lana Del Rey continues to strip away the excess from her work, this time favoring smooth orchestral ballads rather than trip-hop or psychedlic pop. Her vocals are clean, the synths soft and muted, the production mastered to sound as if this album were recorded straight onto vinyl. All this "authenticity" results in a very warm album; the songs are all beautiful and lush, but...that's about it. "Honeymoon", despite its ludicrously long running time (65 minutes, really?), doesn't actually make many statements; artistically, politically, socially, musically...there's just not much substance here. Lead single "High by the Beach", with its modern mix of hip-hop and soft rock, would have made a deeper impression had LDR not already made an entire album and bonus EP with the exact same formula. Likewise, "Terrence Loves You" sounds like "Old Money" with more piano and a saxophone loop. It all sounds good to the ear, but at the same time reeks of self-indulgence. Had LDR not been so pointedly lethargic and stoic, perhaps she could have made "Honeymoon" the sprawling anthology it so clearly wants to be. It's too stuck in its ways for it to be a true, comprehensive work, and instead is a collection of songs that add up to less than the sum of its parts. It's a pleasant collection of songs, yes, and it doesn't tarnish Del Rey's ever-growing legacy in alt-rock, but it doesn't really enhance it, either. There was a bold provocateur that "Ultraviolence" brought to fruition, and once the "Honeymoon" ends, LDR might be better off embracing that willing-to-take-risks part of herself, rather than settling on the safe and well-beaten path that she's slowly sinking into.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Honeymoon 2. Music to Watch Boys To 3. Terrence Loves You
4. God Knows
I Tried 5. High By The Beach 6.
Freak
7. Art Deco 8. Burnt Norton 9. Religion
10. Salvatore 11. The Blackest Day 12. 24
13. Swan Song 14. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
