In case anyone thought it might not be the case after this album, know that I am still 100% a Lana fan. I actually don't know what would make you think that at all, because this album is wonderful! I was honestly terribly nervous about it, because I loved Born to Die so much and everyone knows how easy it is to be disappointed by follow-ups when you love their predecessors so very much. It was quite a relief to listen to this album and immediately be swept away to Lana Land with the opening track and single, "Ride," which is utterly fabulous. It sets the tone for the whole album: cinematic, restless, and intimate - much more so than BtD, which, after hearing this album, almost feels like Lana wasn't ready to let us into her head completely - or maybe she wasn't ready to go there.
Anyway, "Ride." I can't wait for the summer, so I can put it on my annual summer playlist. It evokes the feeling of being on the road, and makes me think of Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron, which, if you were an eight-year-old girl in 2002, I'm SURE you will remember. I especially love the line "I'm tired of feeling like I'm fucking crazy," because I think we've all been there before. Some other stand-out songs are: "Cola (Pussy)," which draws you right in with its spectacularly absurd opening line (WHICH I LOVE) and keeps you there with its sexiness and with Lana's vocal harmonies and falsetto bits; "Body Electric," which ascribes paternity to both Elvis and Whitman and which totally makes sense in doing so - it's dark and suspenseful and has GREAT drums and a totally bad-ass guitar; "Blue Velvet," which I haven't ben able to stop singing since I first heard it in that H&M commercial (not to mention, I'm a sucker for Lynch-ian influences); and "Yayo," which is so simple and beautiful, and breaks your heart every time you hear Lana sing "Let me put on a show for you, daddy."
It's not a perfect album, of course. I like "American," especially the tagline "Be young, be dope, be proud," and how easy it is to get into and sing along to, but it's pretty forgettable overall. "Gods & Monsters" is alright, and definitely gets better after the opening. I love that Lana vocalizes her own sexual desire, and I can't help but sing along to "Fuck yeah, give it to me," but the constant references to Jim Morrison worry me A LOT. If Lana Del Rey joins the 27 Club, I will be inconsolable, I can tell you that much. And "Bel Air" is a pretty song, and I like how it makes me think of a soap opera that takes place in a castle, but it's just not for me. Personal preference. Still, Paradise is definitely a winner, and I'm crossing my fingers that Lana wasn't serious about not writing another album, because I am totally and irrevocably in love with her and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself without any more music from Lana Del Rey! I COULD DIE, IN ALL HONESTY. However, her plans to start writing movies are pretty exciting for me, so maybe I could forgive her one day. Maybe.
My rating: 8/10
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