Lana Del Rey is clearly a character, and that's OK. The character is deeply codependent, and chooses to be oversexualized in order to satisfy a string of disinterested boyfriends, ending in tragedy. Born to Die (the album) is the story of a girl who is raised in a deeply patriarchal society, internalizes her role as an object, and fails to transcend victimhood. She's a tragic character, not a role model.

So, yeah, the too-sultry voice works.

Lana Del Rey should be playing somewhere with better acoustics if she is a real torch singer. WaMu Theater?