Lana Del Rey hit the music scene over five years ago, creating a unique niche for herself, like no other artist before or since, drawing her inspiration from her love of the 1950s/60s sound, Pop culture, poetry, and films. Her sound not falling into traditional music categories has been labeled as Dream Pop, Baroque Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Trip Hop, and Indie Pop. Eventually, the world would focus on the thirty year old singer/songwriter’s sound as Pop/Pop-Rock. Her first self-titled album, would not only be her debut in 2010 under 5 Points Records; it would produce her stage name, Lana Del Rey. Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Del Rey wanted a name to shape her music style, she was spending a lot of time speaking Spanish and traveling to Miami. Hence, the album Lana Del Rey and her nostalgic name were born.
Continuing along, Del Rey’s second album, Born to Die, was released in January 2012 and reached number one in eleven countries. A couple months later, in November 2012, Del Rey’s EP, Paradise, was released, and with that came her second charting album in the US, debuting on the Billboard 200 at number 10. In between the release of her next album, Del Rey took on writing the original score track “Young and Beautiful” for Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of 2013’s The Great Gatsby. When the song was released, it peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at 22, making it Del Rey’s first highest on the charts. In 2014, Del Rey was asked to sing “Once Upon A Dream” for the film Maleficent. It was a haunting rendition originally heard in the children’s film Sleeping Beauty.
When Del Rey was ready to go back into the studio to record, Ultraviolence was born, and in June of 2014 released with great success, debuting at number one in twelve countries, including the US and UK. It is a very stripped, dark, and cinematic feeling album. Now one of the most talked about singer-songwriters around, Del Rey has been referred to by many as the sad songstress and anti-feminist during her career. Doing it her own way, with the release of Honeymoon via Interscope/UMG Recording September 18, 2015, Del Rey seems to have brought back to life the old cinematic America 1920’s feel. She has channeled classic Hollywood through her vocal performances lanced with the album’s musical background.
With all that said, Honeymoon is an album full of empty promises, big ideas, drugs, eroticism, and more, but this time Del Rey is holding the reigns. She channels her sadness, rage, bitterness, and yes, even sarcasm to bring about this masterpiece assembly of songs. The beginning to the end of Honeymoon, one’s trip into old school Americana is full of cinematic-themed sounding vocals and music. Every note and song was thought out and delivered the way only Del Rey can.
Del Rey seemed to make sure to embrace Honeymoon, and her adoration for the famous old Hollywood scene right from the artwork on the album cover. Del Rey, whose beauty is undeniable, is seated in a Starline tour bus. She is perfectly positioned, looking out into the distance with big glamorous shades and sporting a floppy sun hat. Could she be peering off in hopes of finding the two women she has claimed to have been a huge fan of? Two women she used as muses for this album, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor? From there, you open the booklet and are hit with photos of Del Rey. Hollywood is referenced on each page made through short, printed passages of song lyrics.
Starting off with the title track’s opening line, “We both know that it’s not fashionable to love me, but you don’t go, cause truly there’s nobody for you but me,” Del Ray sets the stage for the whole album. She is essentially saying to her critics that she has heard what they have said, she is going to beat them to the punch. Del Rey shows off a side of satire to the beginning of the record with a fully honest, empathetic vocal performance that will truly enchant the listener. In the background, the orchestra plays a 1920’s cinematic old school film sounding score, transporting one to a different time. Following the singles “Music to Watch Boys To” and “Terrence Loves You,” there is the song “God Knows I Tried,” which is a ballad with acoustic guitar laced with strings as a weary, pleading voice radiates from a clear-singing Del Rey. Sounding almost Gospel or hymnal in its entirety, it is a song about love loss, but not due to the lack of trying.
Moving forward with the first single off Honeymoon, “High by the Beach” comes before “Freak,” which is Del Rey pleading with her lover to come to California so he can be a freak like her. Her vocals are almost trembling as she is clinging to every syllable. Needless to say, it is a cool sounding song with slow Electro-Pop over strings, and shows the true gift of her ability to channel her desperation. Although not an original song on the album, interlude “Burnt Norton” by T.S. Elliot is worth mentioning. It has a very upbeat, romantic, cinematic background feel, while Del Rey projects her voice over speaking the poem. It is a moving short passage that breaks up the tone of the album as it flows into “Religion ” which is an upbeat and positive sounding song full of hope. The strumming of acoustic guitars overlaps the strings and a steady drum sound. Del Rey enters the song with a merrier sounding vocal. It is a song so powerful about loving someone, that the feelings one possess is like a religion or deity.
If “Religion” is about love and its hopefulness in seeing one as heavenly, “The Blackest Day” is the opposite. In fact, it has a Pop-like feel which takes the audience on a ride. It is here the audience will listen to Del Rey almost pleading to her lover, using a unique vocal arrangement which soars to high notes and plunges to lower ones. This makes for a storytelling of love leaving or being on and off again; one never really having any certainty in a relationship. Later on comes the cut “Swan Song,” which is almost mythical and mystical sounding. Del Rey’s mesmerizing vocals are sung over another enchanting orchestral masterpiece as she sings about wanting her lover to come away with her. This leads into the final track on the album, commonly covered song “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” penned by Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, and Sol Marcus. Sung by Nina Simone and The Animals, to name a few, the track fits Del Rey like a glove with a sense of good intentions within the words. Is Del Rey trying to convey to the world that she is only human? That is up to the listeners to determine as the song concludes Honeymoon, leaving a yearning for one more song.
Del Rey has set out what she has hoped for with creating Honeymoon. She focuses on Hollywood/California, the classic film musical theme, and being misunderstood but really not caring. Her staple sound of the sad songstress whose voice is untouchable or duplicated in the music industry stays intact. Honeymoon is truly Del Rey’s greatest musical achievement yet. It displays all sides of her vision and maybe, just maybe, she will one day take a honeymoon with a love. CrypticRock gives this album 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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