First of all, what a year it has been to be a Lana Del Rey fan. I don't mean this in a positive way - it's the same sort of feeling I have about enjoying ice cream from time to time while having some latent lactose intolerance going on. I remember some moments around the "Ultraviolence" era felt a bit eyerolly, but nothing quite at the level like what she's been up to since "Norman Fucking Rockwell" positioned her at a career high. From "question for the culture" to the mesh not-really-a-mask ... there has been no shortage of frustrating moments lately. I'm not sure what else to say here - I'm a fan, but the music and the person are at odds for me.
I haven't really dug into "Violent Bent Backwards Over the Grass," but what I have read/heard has had some promise. Largely speaking though, I think her songs outshine her poetry dramatically.
Anyway, let's just get to the music.
"Let Me Love You Like a Woman" is LDR at her best, which is romantic, whispery, dreamy. But because it follows a formula that has worked so well for her - check nearly the entirety of "Norman Fucking Rockwell" - but because it's so familiar, it's not that remarkable. The lyrics are poignant, the melody delicate, the instrumentals hushed, the video made charmingly by Lana herself. All in all, it's sweet and relaxing, but it doesn't stand out to me as one of the best in her catalog. Which says something - because if this was another singer-songwriter, this would be a standout. But she's produced such a relatively good body of work that "LMLYLAW" falls into the background.
You should still give it a listen, and hopefully we find out whenever "Chemtrails Over the Country Club" is coming out - because I do think her partnership with Jack Antonoff is very rewarding, and it should be a pretty strong album.