Born To Die

Hysteria!

When it comes to Lana Del Rey everyone seems to be very much black or white. Love or hate her. Since exploding onto the scene last year with 'Video Games' and then that infamous Saturday Night Live appearance that made her a hot topic earlier this month it’s not a huge surprise that her forthcoming debut album is one of the most anticipated releases of 2012. Now that the nostalgic singer-songwriter’s debut Born to Die has arrived, we can finally declare in unison: the album does not represent a disaster just a case of hype spinning out of control. And there are some nice tunes. LDR mixes hip-hop tendencies with a lush, orchestral sound and calls herself the “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” and, as no one has failed to note, takes a nice picture.

But, back to black and white. Black: Yet her album sounds like words accidentally slipping out of the mouth of someone pouting. With little distinction between happiness and sorrow, LDR halfheartedly wobbles from sounding like Ke$ha ('Off to the Races') to a country singer who grew up in the city ('Radio') to a lazy, misguided rapper ('National Anthem', which is ripe for a Nicki Minaj cover). White: Lana is beautiful, has a different, but amazing voice and a great taste for fashion and a special sense for performing. Can you think of anyone else out there now who sounds like her?. So, instead of calling her “the next big thing” she’s nothing but the “next best thing”. Deal with it.