Jeanne Dielman

Yeah...If it hadn't been for Ben's posts + W Magazine mentioning that a new album is on the way, I wouldn't have expected LDR9 this year. Why tease a 2023 release so early? Lana's silence is a surprising twist of events though, lol. In a normal - for Lana's standards! - era, she'd have posted snippets and multiple release dates and album titles. I think that Lana simply described the (experimental) methods she used when she and Erickson first developed the sound of the new tracks. Didn't she admit that the voice memos were very raw and flawed? Although a certain rawness might be fitting assuming the new album is wordy and angry. I don't know...I'm getting major Violet bent backwards over the grass (conversational + poetic) + Black Bathing Suit (angry + experimental) + Arcadia (orchestral) + hope is a dangerous thing/White Dress/Wildflower Wildfire (raw + wordy) vibes from LDR9. The glamour she's been serving in the last few months + the Honeymoon mentions could also indicate a more fun/jazzy/cinematic aspect to it.

Okay...so these are our clues: - LDR9 must have been completed. Although the insiders don't know anything about it which is a first for a Lana record... - Erickson is mentioned by Lana as a "composer" who added orchestra to her voice memos, but not as a producer. He may be one of the producers of the album of course, but I think that the wording is interesting. - Antonoff confirmed that he worked with Lana this spring, so he's definitely involved. - Angry lyrics (and vocals?) + conversational, wordy songs + orchestra + no colours + automatic singing + Carl Jung reference. - Ben teasing the album A LOT. What to make of Rob's involvement though? Were those March and April recording sessions with Antonoff for his album? We know that Lana was in the studio with Antonoff in April, and she barely posted on IG in March. Antonoff wasn't active on IG in February as well. Rob posted that there are a lot of songs about San Francisco (Lana's I assume?), he mentioned that it's an "epic project" - Lana's or his? lol - and he was playing "beautiful ethereal music" (similar to his wording when he described the recording of Sweet Carolina last year), and he posted a pic of Antonoff with an electric guitar + Antonoff confirmed that he and Lana were messing around with 808s. This is so confusing, lol. My guess is that Rob did work on LDR9 with Antonoff and Lana in the studio back in March and April. In late April he posted that he's taking a break from the piano, so I suppose that the album must have been completed (or at least his involvement with it) by then. And he's recording his classical album in London now.

Oh, wow, lol. Not Rob winning a Grammy before Lana...

Why would Rob travel to London in order to record his debut album? It doesn't make any sense. Besides, I doubt he'd be interested in releasing a solo record anyway, lol. Could she be working with Miles Kane and Alex Turner again? I mean, Dealer went viral and it's the most successful BB track...And she said she's very angry. I'm here for some unhinged psychedelic energy mixed with gorgeous orchestras and distorted Violet-esque soundscapes by Erickson, jazzy Honeymoon-esque songs by Nowels, and 808s/electric guitars (don't forget that Rob posted a pic of Antonoff with an electric guitar in the studio!)/Venice biatch realness by Antonoff.

I'm obsessed with Angel Olsen's new album. Chasing the Sun is sublime.

And Lana’s recent IG video about Violets being her favourite album solidifies this. I don’t think it’s unrelated at all. Rob mentioning that it’s an “epic project” is interesting as well. Has Lana ever been so secretive about an album while people close to her (her dad, her managers etc.) keep hyping it?

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the Euphoria song will be the lead single of LDR9 (or at the very least a promo single à la Venice Bitch). Assuming it is the song Boz and eclipse hinted a while ago, their descriptions made it sound like it's part of the new album - not a "side project". Hence the descriptions of the new "artistic direction" + Boz refusing to give hints about the producers so early. And if it's true that we there will only be a snippet/part of the song on the TV show, the full song could be released a few days later to coincide with the anniversary of BTD's release. Imagine the buzz. The hype. The drama. BTW, Lynch mentioned Lana and Video Games in a video he posted on his Weather Report YouTube channel in early December. And Lana posted Lynch's FJM cover on her IG account. I mean, I know she adores him but this may not be a coincidence. Just saying.

This is exciting! I suppose this must be the track with the RCS line that Boz mentioned a few weeks ago. I wonder if it's a song exclusively written for the show or a lead/promo single for LDR9. @111 Don't be shy, dear, spill the tea!

She was dancing to LDR9's lead single which Mike Dean produced right after they wrote WFWF. @111 Any hint would be the perfect NYE gift.

This is very interesting. Eclipse mentioning that it's a "new" direction for Lana means that the sound is going to be completely different to everything she's done. Lana has embraced many music genres so far - from pop, trip hop and hip hop to surf rock, classical rock, folk, and country - so I wonder what is so special and "different" that apparently marks a completely new artistic chapter for her. I'm a little bit confused though because Lana implied on her IG Live that BB is a "stepping stone" for what's to come so I expected an even more revealing continuation of the unabashedly personal and confessional nature of BB (TB, BB, WFWF, BBS, SC). Anyway, I really loved her confidence during the Variety awards ceremony - the polaroids and the DNC jacket were giving "punk rock/avant-garde/experimental jazz/trip hop" energy lol - so I'm here for whatever she's come up with. I expect a February/March release for the lead single and probably a Summer (July?) release for the album.

Remember the stormy beach in Florida that Lana posted before she deactivated her official IG account?

1. Text Book 14 (+1) 2. Blue Banisters 15 5. Black Bathing Suit 29 6. If You Lie Down With Me 22 8. Violets for Roses 17 9. Dealer 25 10. Thunder 19 11. Wildflower Wildfire 25 12. Nectar of the Gods 12 13. Living Legend 21 14. Cherry Blossom 14 (-1) 15. Sweet Carolina 14

After several listens, I think that my top 5 definitely includes Text Book, Blue Banisters, Black Bathing Suit and Sweet Carolina but the fifth spot is up for grabs at the moment. This is a significantly stronger album that COCC. It's less accessible and "likable" at first but ends up being a richer and deeply moving experience. I am surprised by how well the UV outtakes fit here. I wonder if Wildflower Wildfire's distorted drums were intentionally used as they transition to the rougher rawer demo-esque feel of the last quarter of the album. Anyway, Black Bathing Suit is one of the most important songs Lana has ever written, and may be the key song to unlocking and understanding the entire album. It's such an emotional, lyrical and sonic journey.

Text Book might be the best song on the album and one of Lana's greatest actually.

Another 4.5/5 review. https://www.dailycal.org/2021/10/26/lana-del-reys-blue-banisters-is-lyrical-heaven-her-best-work-to-date/?presentation=mobile

Yeah I don't know if it's going to be counted on MC but a staff member just posted this: Yeah I'm sure we'll get this featured soon. I don't believe there will end up being staff coverage. So I guess if Sputnik gets it featured it might count as a MC-approved review? Anyway, in case there won't be any staff coverage, we will avoid the panic attacks caused by their typically low scores for Lana (68 for NFR / 30 for COCC). And yet another 4/5 review from The Scotsman: https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/album-reviews-lana-del-rey-jarvis-cocker-tori-amos-finn-anderson-3433378

Is it the end of the world? You won't believe this but Sputnik just posted their 4/5 review for the album. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/83975/Lana-Del-Rey-Blue-Banisters/ EDIT: It's a user's review; apparently there won't be any staff coverage so they will get it featured as their review.

Pitchfork continues stanning the album. They just picked Black Bathing Suit and Sweet Carolina as two of the best songs to listen to this week.

Yeah I just read the article. Elton John is leading followed by Duran Duran (#2), Lana (#3), and Biffy Clyro (#4) but it's an extremely competitive race because apparently the difference between Elton John (#1) and Biffy Clyro (#4) is just 4,500 chart sales. UK gals, you know what to do.

https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/every-lana-del-rey-album-ranked/ #1. Norman fucking Rockwell #2. Born to Die #3. Ultraviolence #4. Blue Banisters #5. Chemtrails over the Country Club #6. Lust for Life #7. AKA #8. Honeymoon Honeymoon dead last? No ma'am. Blue Banisters already at #4 is a good sign for the album's longevity I suppose.

Sadly The Post and Northern Transmissions aren't approved publications. Only The Observer (60/100) and Rolling Stone (80/100) will be added. Dealer is doing surprisingly well on Spotify. It rose on a Sunday which rarely happens and pretty much indicates that it's going to have a very strong week.

68k not 18k. A debut in the top 10 is the best-case scenario at this point.

A bunch of 8/10 reviews here: https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/lana-del-rey-blue-banisters-review-b961911.html https://riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/lana-del-rey-blue-banisters/ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/lana-del-rey-blue-banisters-review-b1943424.html (counts on Metacritic) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/lana-del-rey-blue-banisters-review-perhaps-dont-know-star-thought/ (counts on Metacritic)