Lana Del Rey : Norman Fucking Rockwell! Review

Lana Del Rey has released her fifth major label studio album with the title of Norman Fucking Rockwell! The album (NFR!) is produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff and consists of fourteen songs that observe the so-called American Dream. The sparse instrumentation brings more attention to Del Rey’s vocals and lyrics. The lyrics cover subjects ranging from political to self-reflection, as any singer/songwriter obsessed with words, Del Rey also has plenty of sarcastic commentaries about American life. There is also a theme of Del Rey’s continued crush on California and moments of playing with the idea of true romance. The cover of Sublime’s 1997 track, “Doin’ Time,” fits Del Rey’s style and flow.

“Mariner’s Apartment Complex” is a laid-back selection with an acoustic guitar framing Del Rey’s vocals. The vocal harmonies add interest and color the melody. Del Rey’s beautiful and mysterious darkness is always bubbling below the surface. The building story is filled with lyrics that show Del Rey’s skill. “You lose your way, just take my hand; You’re lost at sea, I’ll command your boat to land; You took my sadness out of context, at the Mariners Apartment Complex.” The song builds musically with a melody that is instrumentally orchestrated with guitar and keyboards as psychedelic sound swirl around it to build to the climax. This is a very strong musical statement for Del Rey, the melody is gorgeous, and the lyrics are a step up from her previous albums.

Del Rey has a gentile mix of alternative rock, indie pop and vintage pop music elements. “Fuck it, I Love You,” is the best example of this on the album. Her repetitive tendencies are built upon with an orchestration of sounds that layer in over the course of the tune. Antonoff’s contribution to the success of this album are huge. “Fuck it, I Love You,” is given an aesthetic that keeps Del Rey’s vocals prominent, while the instruments quietly soar and build the atmosphere of summertime sadness. Del Rey certainly can create beautiful melodies and combine that with her storytelling and heartfelt singing, and that is the core to her success on “Fuck it, I Love You.”

Del Rey fans will love NFR! There is plenty of growth and maturity found on every cut on the album. The music is repetitive for sure! The album is in line with her past ones, especially the last three. The addition of curse words and rebellious persona is new. NFR keeps the music coming though, but the key to Del Rey’s masterpiece to come will be more diversity in feels and complexity in forms and melody development. NFR is still a great date though.