I'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
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.
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.
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+
This is a complete knee jerk inclusion that does not merit being anywhere near this list.
Just bland. Is this mumblecore? Are all the children of wealthy parents so bored-sounding?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Almost gave this a higher rating, but some of the lyrics are cheesy af…but maybe that’s part of her appeal?? Idk
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!
Inoffensive, but unmemorable. I do like the title, though. Fav new track: Chemtrails Over The Country Club
A quietly beautiful album. Sparse arrangements that showcase her fragile vocal delivery and subtle, distinctive phrasing. Reminds of Cat Power, but lacks the emotional depth and power in her voice. Finally, the pacing of the album is too slow without any variation thus lacking in drama and ultimate tension 3.5 🌟
I recognize the name, but I have never heard any of her music before. I love her sound though and I will definitely listen to more of her. This is my first listen. Absolutely love it, but need to hear it more! 3/5 for now.
I’ve heard Lana Del Ray is good at lyrics, but I’m not generally lyric focused listener. I’m not sure why she gets vaulted over Taylor Swift, who I also think is overrated, was it because she caused Taylor to pivot to more thoughtful Indy inflected pop? To me it sounds pretty standard. There were a few highlights. But nothing spectacular. I was excited when Weyes Blood showed up on the last song, but that only proved to me that it wasn’t top tier when I heard a great voice.
I was ready to give up on this one during the 1st song. Track #1 is horrible. But the rest were pretty okay.
Nobody sounds good for an entire album in head voice. Anyway, this music still has this crazy tendency to make me feel nostalgic even though the lyrics are of a life and a memory relatively foreign to mine. Spooky. Extra points for covering Joni, even though no one could ever outdo the original.
Onpas uusi levy listalla (2021). Mielikuva Lana Del Reysta oli varsin negatiivinen, erityisesti äärimmäisen tylsän Flow-keikan johdosta. Levyn alku oli varsin lupauksia herättävä, mutta nopeastihan se lässähti juuri sellaiseksi eteerisen taiteelliseksi huokailuksi kuin pelkäsinkin. Ehkä levyn kohokohdiksi voisi nostaa kaksi ensimmäistä kappaletta ja Wild at Heartin kertosäkeen. 2,5 joka saa armoa tällä kertaa.
Ennakkoajatuksena oli, että tämä on luultavasti hyvä levy ja olisi varmasti pitänyt kuunnella aiemminkin. Levy lähtikin hittibiiseillä liikkeelle, mutta sitten ekan kolmen biisin jälkeen muuttui tasapaksummaksi. Ja ne ekat biisitkin tuntuivat lähinnä alkulämmittelyltä, että kohta lähtee. Olisin halunnut tykätä enemmän, mutta valitettavasti yli kolmosta ei kehtaa tarjota.
3.2 - decent modern folk album with haunting feel. Good vocals. Enjoyed White Dress immensely. Solid album for background listening.
Enjoyed it a lot more than I imagined. A bit samey toward the end though and I think may not age well - the breathy female singer of today
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
malo previše stressy-depressy za mene, zato je i ne slušan inače jer je to cili njen vibe, al budući da to nisu loše pisme nego ih ja jednostavno ne volin evo jedna 2
I am surprised to see a 2021 album here, especially when I made for the first time my list of favourite albums of the year in 2021 and I didn't listen to this one. Well, I guess you cannot listen to them all. I am not big on Lana Del Rey, but as soon as the piano and her whispered voice comes in I am already bought. I won't have time to listen to it more than once as I fell back in the challenge and have three other albums to catch up with, but my general impression is that this album totally reflects the black and white atmosphere of its cover art. All the songs sound intimate and kind of nostalgic. Actually, you know what? I am adding it to my Discogs wish list as I write. That's how much impressed I was with this album.
Chemtrails over the Country Club by Lana Del Ray (2021) Here we have slow, superlatively feminine pop—reflective, comfortable, swimming in the past, and finding comfort in the present. Lana Del Ray successfully pulls off some very difficult vocal styles. She is able to whisper exceedingly airy tones with excellent pitch and articulation (“White Dress”) and to dub herself in octaves and widely spaced harmonies (“Chemtrails over the Country Club”) with fine choral blend (outros to “Let Me Love You Like a Woman” and “Wild at Heart”) and delicate precision throughout. Truly applaudable. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a better example of vocal recording on multiple tracks (yes, including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”). Now on the last verse of “Dance Till We Die”, her attempt at power blues reveals her vocal limitations, but she doesn’t stay there for long, shifting back to her beautifully soft timbre for the closing chorus. The album is quite well produced, with subtle but warmly wrapped instrumentals and small scale orchestral backgrounds, mixed with a very close sound in the vocal recording. It is as though Lana Del Ray is sitting squarely in front of me, singing right down onto my forehead, so close I can feel her breath. My hair is softly blowing back with each phrase. This is definitely music for headphones. You won’t want ambient noise spoiling the experience. I’m sure this music is very difficult to perform live. There’s an embarrassingly annoying hum in the opening strains of “Dance Till We Die”. Some engineer didn’t get the memo: “We need silence in the background, dammit!” Del Ray’s lyrics are intelligent and well structured, and only occasionally bordering on the trite, but way too self absorbed—not good as art, but excellent as therapeutic role play for the feminine listener, which, I suppose, is the purpose. And the very wild lyrics of “Wild at Heart” are not well suited to the very tame music. The exception to these criticisms here is the closing track “For Free”, which, if you think it sounds like it was written by Joni Mitchell rather than Lana Del Ray, rest assured that it was. I’d recommend this record for my sister, as a pleasing alternative to the likes of an Adele or a Céline Dion, but not to take the place of a Joni Mitchell or a Judy Collins (or a Bonnie Raitt or a Loreena McKennitt or . . . well, you get the point). 3/5
Surprised to see such a recent album in the list - and not entirely sure why. Not great, not terrible.
She has a beautiful voice. I probably wouldn't listen to it regularly but I enjoyed the album overall. Easy to listen to.
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.
Un álbum muy fuera de mi estilo. Tiene sus cosas buenas pero definitivamente no me convence; probablemente no lo escuche de nuevo
I'm certainly not the target audience for this, and I'm uncertain why this would be chosen over some of her other albums – albums I have liked, but feel blend into one.
I have heard of Lana Del Ray but knew nothing about her. Her high pitch and airy vocals were mostly pleasing and the music was ok for being folky. I dont see myself listening to more, but it was ok.
First song thought: Unique voice. Very, very "breathy", is this how she sings all the time? It kinda sounds like she is struggling to him some of the notes with this voice. (Turns out this is not her normal voice on the rest of the record) Second thought: This came out in March 2021? Writing this in March 2022 - crazy it's on the list this soon. While I see it referenced as a "folk" record, it sounds thoroughly modern. For instance the production on Tulsa Jesus Freak is very hip-hop inspired and I think I can hear a little auto-tune too. Definitely a slick, modern sound here. It's fairly well done modern pop music. There are some folk elements but it's dressed up so much in modern sounds that I'd hesitate to call it folk music. The music seems to have some depth to it that is often missing in pop music so that's nice. Didn't really speak to me much but it's nice to hear in modern pop music.
At the end of 2020, I found that I hadn't listened to much new music that was being released. So I made a resolution to myself to listen to one new 2021 album each week during the year. So trust me when I say I purposefully skipped this one to listen to the new ERRA instead. I don't like Lana Del Rey. This album is no exception. I find her voice grating and uninteresting. Sure, Jack Antonoff does good production and arrangement work. I think a lot of Del Rey's charm is in her lyrical work, painting these scenes with a certain feeling or aesthetic in mind. It's a shame those words are accompanied by her voice, which I dislike so much. Any other singer would've done this album good justice. For example, Nikki Lane features on the song "Breaking Up Slowly" and does a wonderful job. That's ultimately where I stand on Del Rey albums.
Overall an easy listen. I’d go 3 stars if “just” and “lost” weren’t sung as “juoist” and “lohiest.” 2.5.
There were some things I liked but can't put my finger on. There were things I didn't like but can't put my finger on. There's a bit of Taylor Swift syndrome here ... it's like she's singing her blog. Could have used a good editor. Still not terrible. 2.5/5
All very samey - warbling soulful singing that never real went anywhere. Album felt very long too. Looking at the album cover makes you think you'll get some fun out of this album, but sadly no.
i knew lana del ray from earlier work so the style doesnt come as a surprise. you can like it or not. Meanwhile i think the lyrics are very cliche. It feels like with many of the songs they made up an edgy sounding title first and wrote the rest of the lyrics around it. Some of the lyrics almost sound like an AI got a mix of edgy feelings and country fed to come up with them. not really a fan of this album
Ok pop album. I can see how people like her music i as it’s melancholy and sometimes soothing. I don’t find the album as a whole that special. It felt like listening to another persons story that is uninteresting. 4.9/10
I know of Lana Del Rey but never heard any of her songs before. I thought she was pop but the cover is strange. Is this gonna be irony? Ok it's a really soft affair. Seems the main instruments are acoustic guitars, light synth/strings and voice. Wiki lists it as folk and country, but the kazillion-dollar production kinda marks it as something else. Not usual pop though. I guess it sounds like Lorde? Or Taylor Swift now that she's conveniently reinvented herself as a folky hipster? Lots of vocal harmony layers, she can definitely sing but never goes to town - it's very subdued, like Kate Bush without the shrieking. The lyrics seemed a bit dumb when I could hear them: in the first song she mostly mumbles then the words "business trip" really stick out, haha. According to wiki she's built a whole persona around Americana etc, but I couldn't really hear any of that apart from key phrases every now and then, like "making out in a parking lot" would stand out but because the rest is unintelligible there's no real context to it. Overall this was a bit boring and I can't imagine in 10 years' time it'd make the same list again. The author of this book has no real insight when it comes to modern albums from what I've seen - anything after about 2005 is just a lucky dip, as if he closed his eyes and threw a dart at the Billboard Top 100 for the year. 2/5.
Mediocre folk/americana. Very slow. Bland and overproduced. Favorite Track: None Relisten: No
absolutely no. how the fuck is this anywhere near this list? what does it have to offer that is unique, genre defining, innovative or spellbinding? nothing, thats what. if zeros were an option.
We all yearned for groundbreaking follow ups to her debut, but this is not that. The vocals on the first track are woeful- was it on purpose?
Got to "Yosemite", and could take no more. Album released mid-March 2021, and it mid-Feb 2022 - how is this on this list? It's lazy. It's breathy. It's boring. Is the website dev a fan? Didn't even think of adding.