We review new albums from Lana Del Rey and Tool

Norman F***ing Rockwell

Universal

Verdict: Lana invites us into her fantasy land with a beckoning hand.

IT’S HER sixth album, and Lana Del Rey may have released her best record since debut Born To Die.

The American singer is known for her dulcet tones reminiscent of artists from the 60s, and sensual imagery. This album is no different, but it feels like an innovation compared to her past records.

There are stunning hooks nestled in every corner of the 14-track album; from the enchanting melody of Mariners Apartment Complex to the sweeping vocals on Cinnamon Girl, it’s difficult to find a song that doesn’t demonstrate Lana at her best.

One of her main collaborators on this record is Jack Antonoff (Melodrama, Lover), a creative comrade who hasn’t overstepped Del Rey’s style but enhanced it.

Del Rey’s usual string sections are still present on most songs, but the use is smart and measured.

Six songs tick over the fiveminute mark, including the nineminute long Venice B **** . The length would be excessive if not for Del Rey’s ability to wrap her listeners in a hazy, summer’s day fantasy with her storytelling.

Covering her usual mysterious themes of love, lust and nostalgia, her lyrics are as pretty as ever. The title track is an attention-grabbing roast of a pretentious guy she dated (“your poetry’s bad and you blame the news”).

The writing details her political anxieties too, and the album reads like love in the time of World War III.

One of the album’s highlights, The Greatest, is the best example of this: “LA is in flames/it’s getting hot/ Kanye West is blonde and gone/ Life on Mars ain’t just a song.”

Norman F***ing Rockwell is worth several listens to unpack every detail of the singer’s contemporary vision.