Falling into staged value scepticism and then seeing oneself confirmed by the resulting success in consumer culture is a philosophical and pop-cultural cliché. Lana del Rey has served it so masterfully so far that one wonders why she is increasingly speaking out publicly on explosive topics such as feminism or Donald Trump and risking putting her foot in her mouth. Even in the promo for »Chemtrails Over The Country Club« she caught criticism via Instagram when she pleaded – in her own way – for diversity. In her music, at least, this actionism has shown little so far, and that’s possibly for the best. Del Rey’s great capitalism-cinema-pop art between Slushie and SpaceX, acid western and erotic melodrama, Britney Spears and Nancy Sinatra can thus continue to play out on this record. The instrumentally spartan Dream Pop comes across as sadder and thematically more concentrated this time, from the grungy whispered vocals in “White Dress” to the orderly Joni Mitchell cover »For Free« with Zella Day and Weyes Blood. The album is a road trip through a North America of longing, and somewhere between LA, Orlando and Louisiana, its message condenses into a hedonist anthem: »Not all those who wander are lost / It’s just wanderlust«. Self-deception, but how good.
SPELLLING
Portrait Of My Heart
Sacred Bones