Lana Del Rey Ultraviolence reviews set to hit the internet at midnight

Will her new album have been worth the wait?

'West Coast': The first official single from Ultraviolence, and a dark, disturbing curveball from the Born To Die singer. Where her debut album was a shimmering collection of decadent pop ballads, the first taste of Del Rey's collaboration with The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach is a brooding, downbeat release, dripping with menace and taking a brave step of dropping the tempo as it hits the chorus. 'West Coast' is pure Lana, however, with lovelorn lyrics and references to the Americana she has honoured throughout her short career. It's not as immediate as many of her Born To Die singles, but 'West Coast' is an unforgettable and brave slice of slick modern pop. 8/10

Tags: Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey Tickets

Thursday 12th June 2014 by Michael Baggs

Tags: Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey fans will find out whether the star's long-awaited new album, Ultraviolence, was worth the wait, as the media embargo on the record lifts at midnight tonight (12 June, 2014).

Publications worldwide will publish their reviews of Del Rey's follow-up to her 2012 smash hit, Born To Die in the early hours of Friday 13 June 2014. The album includes lead single 'West Coast' - plus previously revealed new tracks 'Brooklyn Baby', title track 'Ultraviolence', 'Shades Of Cool' and early leak, 'Black Beauty'.

Listen to the album's title track below

Early tracks hint at a darker, more sensual sound than heard on Born To Die, which was packed with lush string arrangements and dark hip hop beats. Teaming up with The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach on Ultraviolence has given Del Rey a rougher, more raw take on her fascination with classic American iconography, drugs, sex, rock and roll.

Auerbach previously told Mojo magazine that the pair clashed during the recording of the record, but that he had nothing but the utmost respect for Del Rey after their time in the studio together.

"She impressed me every day. There were moments when she was fighting me. I could sense that maybe she didn't want to have anybody think she wasn't in control because I'm sure it's really hard to be a woman in the music business," he told the magazine when quizzed in May 2014. "So we bumped heads a little bit, but at the end of the day we were dancing to the songs."

Auerbach's influence is unmistakeable on the early songs from Ultraviolence

Del Rey gave early hints on the sound of the record in early 2014, taking to Twitter to discuss the 'wrong, exquisite' sounds of the album.

"The record is finished and it's beautiful," she told followers on the social network "And don't worry you will love Ultra - it's so wrong and exquisite.

"It is absolutely gorgeous - darker then the first - so dark it's almost unlistenable and wrong," she continued."But I love it."

Below: our reviews of the tracks we've heard from Ultraviolence