Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
2021
Album Summary
Chemtrails over the Country Club is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It was released on March 19, 2021 by Interscope Records and Polydor Records. This serves as the follow-up to her sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019). Initially titled White Hot Forever, the album was produced by Del Rey and Jack Antonoff, and features additional production contributions from Rick Nowels, whom Del Rey worked with on past studio albums. The album also featured guest appearances by Nikki Lane, Weyes Blood and Zella Day with whom she did a cover of Joni Mitchell's 1970 song "For Free" which is also included in the album.Chemtrails over the Country Club was described as a folk, country folk and Americana record. The album deals with themes of escapism, love, heartbreak and nostalgia, while encompassing her usual references to Americana, alongside emotions of disillusionment. Chemtrails over the Country Club received acclaim from music critics, with many comparing its sound to its predecessor. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 75,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, becoming her seventh top-ten album in the country. It also topped the UK Albums Chart, becoming her fifth number-one album in the country.
WikipediaI'm not sure how any album released less than 10 months ago can make it onto any list of albums you must hear before you die. One dimensional and bland
Ah, Lana. I feel like I should like her. I enjoy a lot of artists that get consistently compared to her, such as Lorde. I go in with an open and hopeful heart every time. And I am disappointed, every time. It’s like she knows how to make a melody anti-catchy. If she wanted an ear worm, it sounds like the early bird already up and got hers. It is so overproduced, glistening until slimy as if it were slathered in Vaseline. For an album that seems to want to craft some sense of intimacy, it does more to distance itself. Her voice always sounds so drab, so bored. I get that’s part of her style, but her flavor of lazy singing and affected style is grating. It’s like an insecure teenager that puts every effort they can into not looking like they put effort into their appearance. I’m not saying every moment here was dreadful. Dark But Just a Game was a consistently okay song, the bridge to Dance Til We Day gave some desperately needed energy to the album, and For Free had some dazzling harmonies. This album did have good moments. But man, I ain’t gonna dig through shit for a couple of corn kernels, you know?
This was a hard album to rate. Each song–on its own–was quite good. But Lana seems to be a bit of a one-trick pony and her sleepy croon is delightful only in small doses. Every song sounds so very similar to the last that the album quickly starts to blur into a long, underwater sleepwalking session. There are moments when her voice echoes the effortless charm of Billie Eilish but she never manages to summon the emotional intensity that makes Eilish so compelling. Lana seems to be content to sit back and take the easy route. Consequently, she never quite hits the greatness that seems to lurk in the wings, just behind the curtain of her sleepy vocals.
Wasn't expecting to like this very much but it was surprisingly good. Very hypnotic voice. Sort of a one-trick pony, but it's a very good trick. Can't really listen for too long though - doesn't take too long before the trick becomes very repetitive.
It's obvious that she's a good songwriter, and there's not a bad song here, but literally no one wants to listen to 11 crooning ballads in a row. Just set up some drums and hit the snare on 2 & 4 sometimes!
I know it's a total fabrication but I like her 50's LA sad girl charade, probably because I associate Lana with a shortt lived relationship in 2012. Let's call her Lana. Lana introduced me to Lana. The relationship was fun because Lana was slightly too cool for me, so I never got complacent. Now Lana is an entrepreneur and a mom and sings "downatah-menamusic-BIZ-ness conference". The vibe doesn't work as well. This album feels post-coital. I nodded off while driving on I5. C+
Surprised to see such a recent album in the list - and not entirely sure why. Not great, not terrible.
I like LDR. I bought the Born to Die album back 2012. I feel I was conned though. Lured in by the siren call. Thats probably massively sexist. Is it a bit style over substance? She's got hooks, the production is gorgeous. Its all a bit breathy, sad, 50s pastiche with edgy lyrics. This is similar. (Also, this is 7 (seven) albums in! SEVEN.) Its also probably too soon too soon to claim its one of the top 1000 albums when its only 2 years old. Don't know really. 3.5 Norman Fucking Rockwell is better.
Just bland. Is this mumblecore? Are all the children of wealthy parents so bored-sounding?
My buddies, let's have a look at the state of secretary rock in 2021. For those who don't know, secretary rock is music made for secretaries: tasteful, acoustic, worthy, romantic, unerotic, shallow, dull. My review of Tracy Chapman's Tracy Chapman goes more into the definition, so look that up if you're curious. A glance at the influences section on Lana Del Rey's Wikipedia page should cause a wariness to build. Her stated tastes as all presentable, all predictable, all mainstream, nothing even fleetingly left-field: Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, Eminem, Amy Winehouse. Only Courtney Love provokes a quizzical huh, and that's scarcely for the audacity of the choice. And that respectability represents one of the main faults of the album: it's scared to draw or even stir blood. At one point she proclaims to be "wild at heart," which leads the listener what her devilish streak is capable of. Making a coffee with milk that's on its use-by date? Writing the word butt in her diary (which definitely has a pony on the cover)? Sleeping until 9 a.m. on a Sunday? Her parents must be so disappointed. Another issue is the uniformity. Almost every song sounds identical, with the same plucked guitar, the same tapped piano, the same overprocessed voice (the vocal affectations may seriously aggravate). This ties in to the album's tastefulness: it refuses to gamble, so every song gravitates to the same humdrum model. Also, it's impossible not to notice how often the lyrics don't scan, with compressed lines and laboured metres. The second half almost redeems the album, where Lana takes a stroll towards Americana, and she finds one or two good songs (or in some cases, snippets of songs). But I can't decipher the grand message of this album. It seems to comprise a series of vignettes which don't convey anything deep and just describe everyday scenes in Lana's life. Is Lana so interesting that her meeting her friends for a beer deserves poetic commemoration? I'd say no.
Alright. I was totally wrong about Lana Del Ray. This album is great. I look forward to revisiting everything she's ever done. 5 stars for changing my mind about something.
Very good album. Probably my favorite of Lana's to date; however I don't think it should be here yet. I think a 5 year wait minimum to see if it passes the test of time. Just my 2 cents.
Don't like this much as the other Lana albums. The super high-pitched voice that enters into these songs is grating. I appreciate the range, but it's hard to listen to for an entire album and breaks up what are otherwise quite pleasing songs. All that said, I appreciate the melodic setting of Lana's albums - they are like floating on a cloud. Until you come crashing down because of the high-pitched squeal, of course.
This was totally new to me. I liked it a lot. Breathy, high, floaty, but then the odd whiff of Joan Baez.
An odd selection unless there are multiple Lana Del Rey selections. I believe Norman Fucking Rockwell!! is a far better release. This is a decidedly smaller album, with a somewhat Americana feel that puts a focus on her formidable singer-songwriter skills. She is all over the place here, meaning she touches upon various parts of the country in pursuing her vision. Her evolution as a songwriter is consistently impressive. In many ways she shares a similar trajectory as Taylor Swift (albeit from different starting points). And, both have Jack Antonoff in their work group, which is an enormous asset.
Look, I didn't exactly hate it, but Chemtrails over the Country Club just wasn't for me. There are some good songs, which surprised me as I never really rated Lana Del Rey before. The most notable song being White Dress. Unfortunately the rest of the album mostly sticks to a flat tone which gets boring fast. I guess the monotone, low husky vocals are Lana Del Rey's raison d'etre and she does a great job of it but it isn't for me. I do find Lana Del Rey alarmingly pretentious and this album with the exception of White Dress that is very much on display. Jack Anton as producer off gets a special mention. This album does sound pretty good but I can't work out if he is a genius bringing artists to new heights or a scourge, banding out what could have been fun and interesting. I posit this because in the gaps between Lana's voice I could've been listening to Taylor Swift or Lorde. Whatever works for them, I guess
It's amazing what a carefully constructed persona and a daddy with a record label can do. I liked the original version of Stoned at the nail salon.
I'm surprised this album is here. As a Lana fan, this has always been my least favorite project of hers. Sure the album is great lyrically and there are some nice songs, but for the most part, the production takes any fun out of it. Jack Antonoff has a tendency to drain the melodic uniqueness out of artists and this album is just another casualty.
This is a complete knee jerk inclusion that does not merit being anywhere near this list.
I didn't hate it, but why is this on the list? It's not even been a year since this album's released. This is just a regular folk album (my 5th folk album in the past 7 days, please stop giving me folk albums) that will inevitably be forgotten by the test of time. Nothing stood out, everything was very average, almost to the point where it seemed like they were trying to be average.
I love female vocalists. I love the minimalist instrumentation. I love the breathy whispering but it should not have a hall reverb or doubled lead vocal. I enjoy Lana's voice when it's not over processed. I hate the canned beats and ambiance pads with an intimate song. The song "Dance Till We Die" is probably my favorite but it doesn't save this collection of tunes. This is a producer failure. Lana should get a do over and let Rick Nowels do the whole thing and keep herself and Jack Antonoff out of it.
I assume this is something of a diversity pick - the curator wanted something from 2021, so they picked something. Now, the obvious solution is - if there aren't any good CDs from 2021, then don't pick any. My personal opinion is that no strong rock CDs have been released since 2019 (I'm writing this in 2022) but I'm not monitoring every genre. Let's start with Lana's voice. It's extremely weak. If you're an apologist you could say breathy, thin, range-bound and timid is the aesthetic she's going for. I'm not - compare her vocals with Grace Potter or (even closer) Emily Haines from Metric. Haines can do Lana's style better than she can but then can also open up and just belt it, and I think she probably has more range on the high end too (low end is a foregone conclusion). I don't know if Lana can't really sing, but the fact of the matter is that on this CD, she doesn't. She starts to open it up a bit on "Let Me Love You Like a Woman" and "Wild at Heart" but doesn't keep it up. Then there's the pace. This CD is extremely slow and down-beat, and never gets above about a 3-out-of-10 on the excitement scale. The easiest way to put together a good pop CD is to have a great lead singer. Failing that, be fast, fun, and loud. If you don't do either of those things, you're in a really tough position - the last recourse is to have genius composition and production. This CD ain't it. It's pretty basic singer-songwriter stuff. Half the songs sound like demos. Easily the most sophisticated composition is the Joni Mitchell cover (also probably the best song overall), and that adds basically nothing on the production side relative to Mitchell's version, it's pretty much a by-the-books cover.
This is just a great album title. This is the type of album that you don't even realize you are listening to in a loop.
Trophy: Lana Unlocked Lana has always been difficult for me to listen to, but tonight changed everything. I had always heard from her fans that she was such a soulful and melancholy singer, but I always just heard a bored drone. Then it hit me: that is exactly correct. She is droning and she is not energized. But plenty of instruments make that sound. So as I listened to this, I let her fade into the mix like an instrument, and what emerged was a sorrowful and melancholy masterpiece.
It's been way too long since I listened to Lana Del Rey, although I really like her and used to listen to her quite a bit. I hadn't heard this album or the previous one yet actually, so I was excited to dive in. It turned out to be the treat I hoped it would be! This album feels musically much more mature than her previous ones which can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Overall, the quality of this album is high throughout. Ethereal, light and beautiful compositions set the background for Lana's iconic as well as laconic voice. On the flip side, there are no immediately catchy potential hits along the lines of Young And Beautiful. This is an album to listen to as an album instead of picking out a couple of greats for playlists and ignoring the chaff. I can't say for sure if I prefer mature or developing Lana Del Rey more. But this was a great listening and I'll go ahead and enjoy her 2019 album next.
A surprisingly good and interesting album. I’d never listened to Lana before this but knew she was popular. I will be listening again!
i love lana. i have nothing bad to say for this album. i haven’t listened to the full album in so long but i’m glad i got to sit down and go through it again. this is definitely one of my favorites from her
Thursday, tech at work, get some stuff done, quesadillas and lana and more sad albums, people over to chill, mr jellybean, back porch, 11:11, awk invited, oh good day: alvvays tixs cheap, boots, invites
This one finds me in a tough position-- I absolutely love Lana, like I'm the type of fan who will stay up until midnight for new releases and stuff like that. I've been following her trajectory for over 10 years! And I do personally like this album and have probably listened to it hundreds of times at this point, so for that I give it a 5 because I'm a stan. However, I don't really agree with the inclusion of this album on the list. If you're unfamiliar with Lana and this is your first foray into her work, I really recommend checking out more worthy choices for the list, like NFR (her magnum opus), Honeymoon or Ultraviolence. Even her first album, Born to Die, is very flawed but has also had a lot of impact on the last 10 years of pop. I love Chemtrails but I think most fans consider it a valley in her discography-- one that has plenty of worthy peaks for this list.
So I found yesterday that the list has been updated and it actually is a bit longer than 1001, cool, we’ll be here for a bit longer! Now the album: Lana keeps on pushing forward with her music if not her themes, her singing is more variable even if this album in particular is a bit monotonous. It is a beautiful recording although my favorite one by her is the more vivid Lust For Life. Now how can an album that was published only 6 months ago be on the list? Don’t get me wrong I loved the record but it has to make an impact! I could argue that Ultraviolence or NFR! Are better, or even Lust for Life just because it is my favorite. This album is here because the impact of Lana in modern music and could easily leave the list in future editions, I wished the curation of the list would be less reactive and more thoughtful, this is not the (only) Lana album you have to listen before dying. Hope the list now includes albums that have been left out since previous editions and not only new ones from 2018 to now (for example: Like Clokcwork by QotSA)
this was more fun than i'd expected. i wasn't familiar at all, and i was honestly expecting some kinda lame pop-bubblegum whatever, but that's not what this album is.
I'm a casual Lana Del Rey fan, only this year gone through her whole discography. I enjoyed this album, and have gone through it all a couple of times. I feel like there were songs I liked more than others e.g. White Dress, and so I revisit these songs more often. All in all a good album though.
I liked it more than I thought I would. Surprised that a 2021 album is on the list though.
She's a favourite artist of my daughter's but I hadn't listened to her before. Beautiful, I enjoyed this (and Norman Fucking Rockwell, which my daughter said was better)
Second listen. I enjoyed the album much more the second time around and it will definitely grow from there. Very smooth, has an old-school sound yet modern, quite beautiful. Glad to see a recent album on here. Fav tracks: White Dress, Chemtrails, Dark, Yosemite
I enjoyed this album. Really like the drawl and the haunting tones in her singing voice.
This (apart from the title track) seemed a lesser effort. But with each play the subtlety of the writing and production stand out more. And on the last track she's trailing a future as the Gen Z Joni Mitchell.
Knew nothing about Lana other than her name. A little suspicious of something so new. Super enjoyable listen! I love how low key everything is. The lyrics are allowed to shine. Will definitely listen to again.
I have got into Lana Del Ray recently, she borders on ethereal and some may see her style here as repetitive, but I would argue that the words are the thing here. A searing indictment of the hypocrisy of Americana that I think is in line with David Lynch's world view. Love "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" "Yosemite" The Joni Mitchell Cover "For Free" some interesting other songs here. Glad we are update to this year, as this tome must change regularly! (Does this mean we are now on more than 1001 Albums? I am early in on 157 at the moment! Absolutely love this game!
Hmmmmm okay? Welp, I’m a douche bag this is actually really good. Lana has an amazing voice, kind already knew that but it’s the first time I actually seriously listened to her, like really listened. She has a lot going on lyrically some of it’s cringe, some of it’s weird, some of it’s really confessional but overall she’s a pretty good songwriter. Musically it’s really sparse and allows her vocals to take over the mix. Surprisingly good one of the better albums of 2021 I must say
Really liked this. Very soothing and melodic. I didn't realize this was such a recent album. I prefer it to her previous album.
I'm a sucker for some good non-electronic piano in my music, so the first song pulled me in and set the mood for the album. Soft, gentle, sweet, this was a joy to listen to. Perhaps not something that you have to listen to before you die, but something that you won't regret listening to at least once.
There's a few great moments on this, I do love the title track, good work all round.
Lana has a great voice. The lyrics kind of remind me of Paul Simon's style of storytelling. Cool album!
Love Lana! This isn't my favorite of her albums, but I love the Lana vibe it has.
I've never thought I'm going to not only unironically listen to Lana del Rey, but also praise it and play her on repeat almost every day. Lana del Rey put her vocal skills to the limits. Some of the songs on this record feel almost otherworldly. So delicate, so intimate. Unfortunately, further into the album it gets a bit repetitive. Highlights: White Dress, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, Breaking Up Slowly
Prachtig wel. Dit ga ik nog wel eens luisteren. Titel van album is ook prachtig. Die juxtapositie is geweldig. Ik zou precies een dissect willen hiervan.
Would have never listened to this album if it wasn’t recommended. When I saw it was my first album I almost gave up and passed it up. I’m glad I didn’t, this album is amazing! She’s got such a beautiful voice and this record was different than I expected in a refreshing way!
I like the way she switches from an airy voice to a deeper voice. She's written some great songs, with great personal lyrics over the years but an entire album, so sparsely produced, without synth pop hooks is a bit much, but that could be said of many folk artists. It's interesting that her producer and co-writer (of very song) Jack Antonoff, has done the same thing with Taylor Swift, Lorde, Florence and The Machine and others. Between a 3 and a 4 to me.
I kinda grew tired of LDR years ago, but this album had a lot of tracks I enjoyed
Some gorgeous songs on this album, and some really cool lyrical themes.
Such a unique style, feels like something from the past. Easy to relax to, really have to listen to appreciate - not upbeat.
Slow, indie. Soft vocals. Romantic and melancholic, but with modern influences and themes. Sad but sympathetic. Good production and sound quality. Favourite song: Chemtrails over the Country Club.
Has the patented Lana Del Rey sleazy hollywood magic along with some seriously strong melody and song writing. A real high point for Lana, though I really enjoyed her earlier albums. The whole album is consistently good but the first five tracks are notably strong.
Easy to listen to. Good for when working or relaxing. Folk, similar to Taylor more folk songs but a little more wordy. Sort airy voice like Billly Elish (a bit like heather nova).
As I drift in and out of consciousness, with Lana del Ray's sweet and sultry voice weaving a tapestry of love and regret in my peaceful mind, I find myself wondering, "she doesn't believe in the chemtrails conspiracy, does she?"
Americana. No soy muy fan del tipo de música pero canta tan bien... Un 4.
I can really appreciate LDR, I just can't decide if I like her music. Objectively, she's a great singer/artist with a unique sound. The whole album was interesting to me, and I enjoyed it in that sense. But, I don't know if I "liked" it. I'm in a weird space with this one. Still - high marks as I do believe the album is deserving of being on the list. It's definitely a must-hear.
Kind of loved this, the right mood for now, but think can be something that could get too much in excess
Listened Before? N This was my first exposure to Lana Del Ray. I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise! At first, I thought I wasn't going to like it as it felt monotonous and slow... but then I started reading the lyrics along with the music, and WOW. Lyrically this album shines. The themes and stories are amazing. I loved it and will be listening to it again. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Chemtrails Over The Country Club
While there are many reasons I miss my friend Keith, today I want to talk about this album with him. I didn’t get her in 2019. Keith loved Lana Del Rey and I can literally see his eyes shining speaking about her. She’s lovely and I just loved listening to this album.
Huh. After the first two songs, I was feeling pretty down on the album. (My daughter checked out, too, so she blasted Neutral Milk Hotel to cleanse the palette.) But after dropping my daughter off at school, I put the album back on and found that I liked the third song. And then the next one. And the next. And slowly but surely, this album won me over. So much so that I started listening to it all over again, and it's just a solid album through and through. Great lyrics, hooks, harmonies, production. Right on, LDR! Giving it 4 stars now but it could grow into a five. Also, I enjoyed the Joni cover, but damn if that Weyes Blood person doesn't sound EXACTLY like her. I had to look her up to see if I wasn't being trolled, that maybe LDR snuck Joni on there under a pseudonym.
A very pleasant listen. From memory, on Lana's earlier albums she had a couple of vocal tics or flourishes that rubbed me the wrong way, but there's nothing like that here, which is good. Fave track - "White Dress" is probably the stand out - did it get used in a soundtrack somewhere? I also enjoyed "Not All Who Wander Are Lost"....