Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

[A-Bond]

First favorites are Sweet, Candy Necklace, A&W, Paris, Texas and Grandfather... Paris, Texas reminds me of an Agnes Obel Song? The Grants is nice too, I personally just don't need that first minute and the transition into the actual song is off. And unpopular opinion, but I actually like the Jon Batiste Interlude... The Judah Smith Interlude can be scrapped though with Let The Light In and Margaret.

The Fishtail-Taco Truck x VB is the part that I probably need to relisten a bit, was not that attentive anymore after 60 minutes haha. Peppers sounded messy though.

What I appreciate about the album is that, unlike in her last 4 albums or so, not a single song here sounds out of place production-wise. I don't know if she included some old songs here too, but if she did, they were definitely reworked whereas on NFR, Chemtrails and especially Blue Banisters, they were always super obvious... Like just because they're also Guitar- or Piano-based doesn't mean they fit in sonically. What I don't like is that it includes a throwaway track or two too much, as on Blue Banisters. Chemtrails is not my favourite albums of hers, but I appreciate that it's concise and consistent for her standards.

Anyway, there's some good stuff on here, will definitely give it some more spins in the upcoming days.

 

[Andrew]

Those interludes are a NO. They’ve pulled me out of the record so hard.

Had to make a palylist and remove them instantly forever

 

[MC54]

I guess the shipping of physicals being low was right. My Target had 3! copies on the shelf.

 

[HairBodyFace]

Just finished! My early faves (outside of the 3 that came out prior):

Paris, Texas
Fishtail
Margaret
Jon Batiste interlude
Candy Necklace
Peppers
Taco Truck x VB

I need more time to sit with it but I really enjoyed it. I kind of wish the tracklist order was different, because it felt very piano ballad heavy for the first half (which is fine, I just personally kind of have to be in the mood to listen to that many piano ballads in a row), but the last 3rd is where things got interesting again.

I know Jack gets flack on here but I love his work on this album, his stuff with Lana is always so on point.

 

[Andy French]

Hands on your knees, I'm Angelina Jolie!

 

[throatwobbler mangrove]

Has anyone got to the bottom of whether the loonytunes Judah Smith sermon is meant to be taken straight-faced, satirically, or a combination of both?

I do not like it, I do not like it one bit.

 

[Euphoria]

I guess the shipping of physicals being low was right. My Target had 3! copies on the shelf.

Her team is always fucking up. Borderline comedic at this point.

 

[Runawaywithme]

Okay this is going to take some time to sink in but she's done it again.

 

[HairBodyFace]

The Judah Smith interlude sounds like something from a scene of a movie about the rise of a dictator. I'm scared.

 

[HairBodyFace]

 

[tylerc]

On first listen, it is a rather sedate but enjoyable affair. But Lana sis... Fingerprints cannot find a melody to save its life! Probably the only song I didn't connect with on the first scan. I was nearing the end when I thought "well A&W was a total trojan horse" but then I got to Fishtail / Peppers. Wig!

I'm saying it while acknowledging they have the benefit of familiarity, but I think The Grants, the tile title track, and A&W are the strongest things here.

I also went and got my copy from Target because my Amazon preorder updated this morning to arrive next week (Thursday!). The red is actually a lot nicer so it worked out.

 

[Mr Blonde]

The middle chunk of the album is a challenge. Every song is so languid and diffuse, definitely need more time to digest.

The remix/demo? of Venice Bitch at the end is my instant highlight but that’s because Venice Bitch is a 11/10 ddd.

 

[HairBodyFace]

Fingertips is....maybe her most depressing song ever? And the way they censor "mother" hits kind of hard

 

[johnoclock]

Haven't listened but the criticisms of it sounding meandering/improvisational are very concerning because that was in large part why I couldn't fully connect with Blue Banisters. I guess that's where she is now, pop songwriting is not her bag.

 

[theelusivechanteuse]

Grandfather blah blah. She did that.

The catharsis of her being everything they portrayed and wanted her not to be.

 

[DinahLee]

Haven't listened but the criticisms of it sounding meandering/improvisational are very concerning because that was in large part why I couldn't fully connect with Blue Banisters. I guess that's where she is now, pop songwriting is not her bag.

I think this one is… more finalized than Blue Banisters. There are moments of “improvising” but also some stronger melodies and overall “arch and themes”. Even with piano ballad after piano ballad, there’s some distinction between them and not something as meandering as… idk, Cherry Blossom and Sweet Carolina back to back.

 

[Andy French]

This definitely feels like her most "loose" release - that's not a bad thing either. But if you told me a lot of it was recorded in a single take I'd believe it

 

[MC54]

I picked up the Target edition on a walk today. There were actually 6 copies on the shelf (I ordered in-store pick up ahead of time, website said 3). It's quite nice in color, the dark pink is pretty. A lot of snap/crackle/pops on the pressing but maybe a proper cleaning of it will help that.

 

[KYLE]

Hands on your knees, I'm Angelina Jolie
Hands on your knees, Angelina Jolie
Let me put my hands on your knees, you can braid my hair
Do a fat criss-cross in the back somewhere, ha

 

[HairBodyFace]

I decided to listen to this at midnight and I don’t think I have the right words to really articulate how it’s made me feel right now but Kintsugi and Figertips are probably among the best things she’s ever written. Some of the lyrics (when you figure out what she’s actually saying through the mumbling) actually made me gasp. I feel like the lyrical content in those songs particularly are like a bridge straight back to Born To Die and really reframe the debut and her perspective makes so much more sense with the context of her familial experiences.

Margaret was another standout and just feels really sincere, Candy Necklace is kinda terrifying and Father John Misty ate.

The final run of tracks honestly feels like Lana trolling and reminding us of her credentials and I’m all here for the psychedelic production being something that she delves deeper into in the future because bringing her lyrical quality into productions of that calibre would be insane. It’s actually quite a scream to me that her pen game has never been sharper and yet she chose to finish the record on VB but I was bopping.

This is going to rank very highly among her albums but it’s going to need a few more listens to sink in because it’s probably her most dense work lyrically. To be able to say that about someone on their 9th record is so special and she truly is a once in a lifetime type of artist to me.

I was just thinking this. Learning so much more about her past really gives so much more context for her earlier work.