3.8 - This is a very tastefully produced record, from the cover art and album title, to the spare and subtle sound engineering, to the subdued but effective vocals. I love the way Lana Del Rey evokes deep Americana with references to Louisiana two-step, small towns in Arkansas (pronounced like "Kansas") and church-y truisms like "not all who wander are lost." And I'm just a sucker for her weepy damsel-in-distress persona that she augments with her doe-like eyes and hushed delivery - she reminds me of Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. Mostly the songs are easily interpreted and float within a somber melancholy. My hunch is that most of this record's charms that seem so compelling on initial listen, will fade upon subsequent returns and that I'll probably find boring what I once found gorgeous.