Lana Del Rey appears at her most complicated on her second album, Ultraviolence. On the title song, she sings from the throes of a physically abusive relationship. She repeats the title of 'He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)', a song recorded by The Crystals in 1962.
The album wraps desire, violence and sadness into a tight bundle that Del Rey doesn't always seem sure how to unpack. The slinky standout 'Sad Girl' is essentially Del Rey's theme song: 'I'm a bad girl/I'm a sad girl,' she announces, her voice slipping from childlike coo to sedated swoon.
It's true that much of Ultraviolence, like Born to Die, rams the same sonic guidepost over and over. But Del Rey allows herself to be coaxed into one striking departure, for the single 'West Coast' – a deep groove that kicks her from chanteuse into frontwoman for a few glorious moments.
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