Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell (2019)

reaction to this one seems much less hyperbolic and overwhelming compared to NFR (or BTD) so you may get lucky. This seems to be nestled into a Honeymoon sort of PR rollout.

The Pitchfork review makes it sound like a mere undergraduate degree in semiotics is not sufficient to fully appreciate this artist or album.

^ha ha... well, ok man. I actually think that all of Pfork's LDR reviews are pretty solid; including when they make critical judgments (and even if I don't necessarily agree with every take or point of emphasis).

This album has grown on me, in the months that I've been listening intensively to LDR's catalog. At first, I thought it was too soggy, soft-edged, and overlong; and that it suffered in comparison with the albums that followed it. But I find that when you're in the mood for the ~vibe~, it really is impressive. (I would still probably lose "Bartender"... it feels "songwriter-y" in a way that doesn't work for me, and I think it intrudes on that final stretch of songs.)

This is very minor errata… but the instrumental bridge section of “How to Disappear” sounds a lot to me like “Wild at Heart” (which allegedly was intended for NFR!, but cut from the final tracklist).

Can someone with a better ear confirm if it’s the same chords(?)

it's weird that she repurposes so much of "how to disappear" for "wild at heart" but i think "wild at heart" ends up being an improvement?

― ufo, Tuesday, 16 March 2021 11:41 (two years ago) link

I'm sitting in a coffee shop that's playing through this album. I forgot how good it is, I still think it's her best.

yeah it is

still don't know why O.B. from Hollyoaks is on the cover

xxxp Thanks, I missed that!