Taking on the task of the ominous second album can put pressure on artists. Sometimes, first albums are improved upon, but in some cases, they are not. Børns’ sophomore album, Blue Madonna, could be classified as one that misses the mark but there are too many moments of brilliance to call it a failure.

Børns himself is hard to pin down. His androgynous style and soaring vocals are beautifully strange. He doesn’t fit into any one category, making him an artist that is contemporary and genre-less. His first album, Dopamine, showed us that he is a musician who is alluring and in love with love.

With Blue Madonna, that was no different. His collaboration with Lana Del Rey is definitely the highlight of the album, where she features on two tracks. Their two voices complement each other fantastically well as they sing over haunting melodies of psychedelic guitars. Drifting in and out, Lana does not outshine Børns in the opening song, ‘God Save Our Young Blood’ but accompanies him as backing vocals. It is only in title track ‘Blue Madonna’, that she has her own verse which she sings in her infamous sultry tone.

Lana features at the start and end of the album which also happen to be the better parts. Tracks such as ‘sweet dreams’ and ‘Faded Heart’ are filled with joy, showing how Børns specialises in the love song. The heavy base and the ghostly backing vocals really open up the song, making it cavernous, as if it could swallow you up and you wouldn’t mind at all.

Whilst the opening is strong, the album fades away and loses the run of itself. It switches between different genres from rock to punk to 80s pop. It becomes experimental at times where the flow of the song disappears. Where these tracks should show the scope of Børns talent, they reveal an artist who has yet to make his best work.

Despite its faults, Blue Madonna does stand out when it comes to originality. Børns seduces you in his love filled songs. By the end, you’ll be wishing the lyrics were written about you. Although there may be some misses, there are some shining beacons of brilliance that call out and say that there is more and better to come.

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