Lana Del Rey

yeah definitely not stoked about the sound of these two new collaborations, seems like she's broadening the net for more cross over appeal

Yeah, I'm not digging either of these new songs. It seems like she's overthought the album at this point. It was supposed to come out in May but then she's added new songs and gotten rid of some others because they were "too happy". I never heard Best American Record but people on Popjustice have been going crazy about it since it appeared online in March. Now it's not on the final track list (along with Yosmite which is another demo Lana was mentioning a lot). Seems like she was expecting Love and Lust For Life to be hits and when they weren't she changed the direction of the album. Adding Coachella wasn't a good move either. Most of her stuff ends up growing on me so I hope I'm wrong about this. I've ended loving almost everything she's put out.

I have a feeling this is going to sound especially flabby coming after Melodrama

I think adding collaborators like this to her sound doesn't really sell her sound to a new audience because it's still inherently Lana. She's pretty consistent aesthetic wise, now there's just some rapping on there. Anyways, agree with xposts, also find her stuff grows on me and still look forward to this album.

"Groupie Love" w/ASAP Rocky is on Spotify

I dunno, Ross you are right, it's not like she's really changed anything (though I don't think this is a very distinctive or good LDR song), but yeah it's just a Lana Del Ray with some lower-energy ASAP (who I am a fan of) on it...

but I dunno, it's like...why? It almost feels like those "easter eggs" they lard down every comic book or Star Wars movie with now like "Oh gee whiz did you see Boba Fett in the background of that shot tee hee hee Boba Fett is a Star Wars character and I'm watching a Star Wars movie!!!"

It sort of breaks the spell for me, the best thing about LDR for me is this sort of modern, yet out of time California world she inhibits, a simulacrum of imaginary L.A., bringing in guest stars like this sort of takes me out of the movie, so to speak

more more to the point ASAP Rocky is the Boba Fett of Lana Del Ray, I can't imagine I'll be the last to say it

It sort of breaks the spell for me, the best thing about LDR for me is this sort of modern, yet out of time California world she inhabits, a simulacrum of imaginary L.A., bringing in guest stars like this sort of takes me out of the movie, so to speak

Agree with this 10,000%. Really not happy about all the guests on this record.

yeah, I agree too. would be happy to be proven wrong.

shakedown OTM

So, the album is great. The second half in particular is very strong. Get Free is one hell of a closer.

ooooh

Can't wait to hear it

on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8tIaO48lXc

yeah, really into this album. The trap influence is so understated, it almost feels like trap collided with trip-hop - which is great. The ASAP/Carti collabs do absolutely nothing for me, least favourite things she's been attached to. Not opposed to artists evolving, but shakedown articulated the spell breaking perfectly above.

"I'm smokin' while I'm runnin'" is a lyric I feel like I've been waiting to hear forever

Feels like the perfect midway point between Born to Die and her later era material. Think I'm just a stan at this point

the Nicks and Lennon collabs are definitely standouts. This is on track to being ridiculously back-loaded.

Nicks and del Rey sound terrific together.

This is definitely a Honeymoon situation again where I'll make a shorter edit and only ever listen to that

As I expected, the tracks with guests are the weakest (except for the two with A$AP Rocky). The Lennon song in particular is one of the worst things she's ever done. But holy shit, "Get Free."

the Nicks and Lennon collabs are definitely standouts. This is on track to being ridiculously back-loaded.

― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.)

Coachella to Get Free is a brilliant run of songs.

I still don't like "Coachella" and I'm not that wild about "God Bless America" just yet either

I don't like Coachella or God Bless America either!

God Bless America was an instant highlight for me. I didn't really like Coachella when she put it out last month as it seemed a bit clumsy, but I'm really enjoying it on the album.

love to listen to trip trap in my flip flops

"Get Free" is a reminding me a lot of Radiohead's Creep

i thought the same

The track with Sean Lennon is my favorite one in here on first listen.

I would've preferred Get Free to be a major lazer cover instead of a creep ripoff.

I would be interested to see the results of a poll for best Lana album

this is really good

part of LDR's thing has always been a love letter to the history of rock n' roll, this album especially so. i've noticed nods to iggy (obv), radiohead, motley crue, neil young, simon & garfunkel, and more that i've probably forgotten

call me naive but I honestly don't think the Radiohead thing is intentional. they didn't invent that chord progression.

yeah def. a ton of references here!

also Beach Boys "Don't Worry Baby" (Love), The Angel's "My Boyfriend's Back" (Lust for Life)

I would be interested to see the results of a poll for best Lana album

― Week of Wonders (Ross)

I was thinking that earlier. I honestly have no idea which one would win.

anyone game to start it? :)

I'm not overly familiar with this record yet but I would say the weakest link on some of these songs is the sonics - summer bummer, groupie love and In My Feelings just feel more empty sonically than her other material. However, on a track like "In My Feelings" Lana's performance is so great it carries it imo.

like "Summer Bummer" isn't really convincing on a melodic or rhythmic level to me at all - it's very hollow and generic

incidentally I am listening to the Sevdaliza album and it's such a dead ringer for LDR that I couldn't not plug it here

(but replace the hip-hop influence with trip-hop)

Ultraviolence is clearly her best album to me but this might be second-best on first listen? definitely seems like it could be cut down a few tracks though

Ultraviolence is definitely my favourite. It strikes me as the meeting point between Mazzy Star and Portishead at times, which is a great thing. A very fine comedown album.

For sentimental reasons I would say Born To Die is my 2nd choice, but this new one may overtake it

I'd probably still say Born To Die but it's extremely close now.

most interesting thing about being away from ILX is coming back to find out what people have been losing their shit over for the past six months. turns out it's jocelyn wildenstein doing chris isaak covers. cool.

― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Monday, January 16, 2012 7:25 PM (five years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

most interesting thing about digging into ilx from times past is sometimes seeing posts like this

Loving pretty much of all of this with the exception of the two ASAP tracks and the Sean Lennon ones. album is a real grower

What? The Sean Lennon one is cool :( it's like a reworking of Something.

Yeah, I adore the Sean Lennon song. I'm still not sold on Summer Bummer as it just seems like a rewrite of High By The Beach. Groupie Love has grown on me a lot. I'm having a hard time getting my head around Cherry. Definitely the weirdest song she's done thanks to those bizarre backing vocals.

Moka - i'm into the lennon one now :)

this album rules

life rocked me like mötley / life rocked me ultra softly

Just listening to Ultraviolence again. It's definitely not my favourite album of hers but that run from the title track to Sad Girl is really incredible. If the second half had been that strong, it would be my favourite no problem.

Just gonna post this here in case anyone's interested (poll thread)

Let me kiss you hard in the POLLING rain - Lana Del Rey poll

don't know how I feel about this yet; not crazy about the rap cameos, they seem really poorly integrated. I love the song with NIcks, and like the one with Sean Lennon a lot until the groaner self-referential line. But I listened to this in the car (twice) and it's not very well suited for driving around. Will listen more carefully today. Oh I also hate the 'take off take off all your clothes' line, ugh, particularly since it sounds exactly like the 'hello, hello, can you hear me?" line in 'Without You'

oh I don't know. Lana and A$AP can be my generation's Marvin and Tammi if they want.

the rap cameos are a better fit than sean lennon