Elizabeth Grant, or better known by her stage name, Lana Del Rey, has come to foreground of the music world recently after questions were raised about her live performances and supposedly Botox filled lips. However, the American singer/songwriter, seemingly not one to shy away from controversy, has stood up to the press discounting these queries as nonsense. It is somewhat apt then that this week bought the release of her debut album, ‘Born to Die’. If ever there was a way to answer your critics, a bold and powerful record is the way to do it and boy oh boy has Lana done just that.

Lana, from the albums very first note, dives headlong into a traumatically emotional journey. With a beautifully mellow and bass voice like Lana’s it’s hard not to sound so soulful. She’s both seductively tantalising and eerily mournful, a powerful combination for any singer. The opening title, ‘Born to Die’ rather sums up the start of the album. Slow sections of quite reflection layered with a string section, that bring lighter moments throughout the album, build and collapse beautifully, posing as a nice metaphor for a struggling love life. Track two does quicken the pace and with lines such as, “light of your life, fire of your loins” hints, a little alarmingly, at a girl’s need for a saviour. As a result by the time the crux of the album is reached we are already feeling a little downhearted and sorry for the female protagonist and are wishing for the tales to be a touch happier.

Regrettably this is not the case. The pre –released singles from the album, ‘Blue Jeans’ and ‘Video Games’, which have been much publicised and hyped are quite frankly outstanding. Again, Lana fuses melancholy with desire in the deepness of her voice so reminiscent of Dusty Springfield. The hauntingly beautiful lyric, “I will Love you til the end of time” in Blue Jeans and several more in Video Games really stand out and stay with you for sometime after their songs close.

The womanly vulnerability and sorrow Del Rey has developed throughout the album, aptly summed up by the eleventh track, ‘summertime sadness’, is a constant reminder of the fragility of people and the heart and the darkness of a world that doesn’t care. Nevertheless, the bold, strong vocals and, at moments, airily light strings work to bring a glimmer of hope to this chapter. They also stand for a certain empowerment of women and the repressed, which is a slightly more uplifting message to take from an album that at the outset confirmed that you are indeed a worthless mortal.

However, on a more curious note, the empowering and soulful resonance of many of the tracks would suggest that Lana or Lizzy had a troubled upbringing that would normally warrant such poignant lyrics and mournful overtones. Alas it seems that dear old boarding school Lizzy, daughter of a millionaire, actually has very little firsthand knowledge of the situations she so starkly describes. So when asking if we, the listener, “knows what it’s like” one may well reply, “no Lana, but I’m fairly sure you don’t either”. Whilst this discrepancy as to where she gleaned experience in inescapable and abusive relationships is a hole in the album, it does not detract from the message and musical prowess. A superbly crafted debut album, with an exquisite selection of highly emotive tracks and certainly one you won’t forget in a hurry.

Lana, even if your lips are Botox, no one cares as long as you’re producing this kind of quality.