Ultraviolence

Pitchfork 7.1/10 It’s entertainment, camp, and the ambiguity of it all, nurtured by the cool distance of Lana Del Rey’s image, is a huge part of the music’s appeal.

A.V. Club F The ultimate downfall of Ultraviolence, though, is that it fails to craft its own identity or forge its own creative vision.

The Needle Drop 2/10 Behold, the epitome of superficial nostalgia!

NME 3/5 The line between self-aware irony and tragically conforming to type is thin, though, her knowing winks getting stuck in a tangle of false eyelashes, and ultimately undermining what had the potential to be a powerful artistic statement.

Evening Standard 3/5 Mostly Del Rey sounds as if she might drop off to sleep at any moment, no bad thing if you're feeling dreamy too.

Rolling Stone 3.5/5 Ultraviolence is a melancholy crawl through doomed romance, incorrigible addictions, blown American dreams.

DIY 4/5 It’s a strung out, tear-drenched collection, beginning epic with opener ‘Cruel World’ and only getting more dramatic as it progresses.

The Independent 3/5 Del Rey’s problem isn’t fickleness, but over-consistency. Which is to say that Ultraviolence is more of the same, but less.

All Music 4/5 Ultraviolence asserts that as a songwriter, she has complete control of her craft, deciding on songs far less flashy or immediate but still uniquely captivating

Gigwise 9/10 It drips with a beauty that is as compelling as it is disturbing. Del Rey's vocals are at time angelic, at times haunting and discomforting - helped along by the carefully crafted mess of noise that accompanies them.

Under The Radar 5.0/10 Throughout Ultraviolence, there's a sense of musical haziness that rests in a safe zone that Del Rey either can't or won't escape from. The mid-tempo songs have elements of woozy European pop with a dose of baroque pop, yet at the same time aren't pop at all.

Clash 7/10 What comes through clearest is a coherency defined by the distinct reluctance to do much to unsettle a trajectory that’s taken Del Rey from complete unknown through blog-hyped ‘newcomer’ to legitimate pop superstar.

Mojo 3/5 The dynamic scarcely shifts ... but that’s the point: get this tangled up in blue, there’s no way out.

The Observer 3/5 Even though there are half-a-dozen high points here, the stylistic shifts that kept Born to Die complicated are missing. The end result is stylish and cogent but, as a consequence, perhaps a teensy bit samey.

Slant 3.5/5 Ultraviolence finds her stripping away much of the sonic, if not thematic, pretense...or at least substituting it with a new one.

Pop Matters 8/10 Ultraviolence is a beautiful argument for her relevance and her potential longevity.

The Guardian 4/5 For all the improvements on Born to Die, the problem with Ultraviolence remains the same: Lana Del Rey keeps repeating herself.

The Telegraph 3/5 Absorbing though Ultraviolence is, the album could certainly do with a dollop more musical levity. Without the hip-hop beats that peppered her first album, the songs here lack a sprinkling of brashness – a little of the Kim and Kanye touch would have helped.

The Irish Times 4/5 What seems certain is that whatever she really is, or whatever she does in her chosen milieu, Del Ray is the best at it.

Hot Press 8.0/10 More darkly romantic torch songs from pop starlet.