This is her fourth record and opens with the words of actor Samuel L. Jackson on what appears to be a socially conscious album from Paloma. After the words from Samuel in the introduction, we go into the title track, and it has plenty of attitude and sets the tone for the rest of the album (Or so you would hope. Read on to find out. Or skip to the end. I don’t fucking care either way.) Although she stated that the album is “Socially conscious”, after the first three tracks, I am trying to figure out where that comes from. Because on “the Architect”, “Guilty”, and “Crybaby”, I have yet to find any references (Maybe, I have

I have just been distracted from the music and have yet to pay much attention to the lyrics; I don’t know.). 

Anyway, “Guilty” had a bit of familiarity to it. It sounded very much like what the late Amy Winehouse would have done. Some might say Paloma sounds like Amy, but I don’t hear it. This track, however, does have an Amy feel to it.

This record also features John Legend on “I’ll be Gentle, ” a ballad of epic proportions. I am so far enjoying the album as I am listening. Especially her effervescent vocals that grab your attention right after Samuel’s introduction. But, I am yet to notice anything likely to cause anarchy in the streets and turn people against whoever is in power. It all appears to be Paloma talking about personal things rather than social commentary.

Overall: There’s not much left to write in the main article, so I will go into my overall review. An outstanding sounding record, but I struggled to find any form of “Social conscious” which, apparently, “the Architect” is supposed to convey. Paloma intended it to be that way, but she hasn’t entirely delivered on this album with that message. There’s always time for future albums. The only tracks I noticed anything of that nature were “Warrior”, “Surrender”, and “Til I’m Done”, but then again, they sounded monumental but didn’t deliver anything political for me. I recommend Lana del Rey’s latest if you’re looking for a politically charged record. If you’re looking for an album packed with hits and Paloma’s soaring vocals, then, by all means, buy this album. I am still going to give this a high score, as I liked it, and although she didn’t deliver on the political front, there is no denying Paloma hasn’t got to where she is because of her talent. 8/10