Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role as writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.

‘Let Me Love You Like A Woman’ – Lana Del Rey ★★☆☆☆

Before listening, I started off with low expectations and Lana Del Rey’s “Let Me Love You Like A Woman” proved to be achingly similar to many of her previous releases. The song is meant as a prelude to her imminent album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” and to hopefully excite and prepare fans for more. Although it wasn’t the most unique or jaw-dropping, the track still managed to demonstrate Lana’s classic, yet subdued vocals along with a deliberate and steady piano accompaniment. Personally, this song fell short in many ways. It felt both poorly produced and disappointing, as Lana uses the same overused melody seen in many of her other songs. Lacking substance, this song failed to offer anything unique or new. Overall, I didn’t particularly enjoy the dreamy and slow vibe to this track and I hope to see an improvement in her upcoming album. 

‘Sharpener’ – Cavetown ★★★★★

Cavetowns newest single “Sharpener” is a must-listen; highlighted by beautiful lyrics and backed by a soothing beat, I instantly loved this song. Following a similar theme to many of his other tracks,

“Sharpener” captures a complete emotional vulnerability rarely found in music. The upbeat melody in the beginning is followed by a deeper message, as lyrics detail the conflict of dealing with one’s innermost struggles with mental health and body image. Within the last minute, the tune completely switches track, dragging the listener into a softer, and slower ballad accompanied by a slow piano. Much appreciated, the last section and its subsequent tranquil melody adds a lot to the ambiance and overall melancholic feel to the song. I was thoroughly impressed by the feeling of bittersweet nostalgia evoked by the music, and I think a large part of that can be attributed to the tactful presence of soft instrumentals and thoughtfully written lyrics offered by Cavetown. 

‘Fake’ – Lauv & Conan Gray ★★★☆☆

“Fake,” a bright pop collaboration between Conan Gray and Lauv offers catchy lyrics about dealing with two-faced people. Lauv begins

the track with underwhelming vocals, which slowly develop into a snappy, yet repetitive hook. Something about the juxtaposition between the voice of Lauv and Conan Gray was really appealing, both complementing each other well. The flow between their voices and styles worked well in their favor, each providing something enjoyable and personal to the song. The upbeat rhythm and energy created by the two artists emphasized the carefree and summery vibe they were going for, bringing the song to life. Ultimately, I didn’t like how generic the song sounded at some points, and the music didn’t build much. Although mildly enjoyable, this song didn’t exactly live up to its hype, as the lyrics were boring and the concept halfhearted.