beigehydrangea

Okay, I finally feel like I've sat with the album long enough, and I'm ready to talk about it. This record has been playing on repeat for me since it came out, and I haven't been playing any other music since. Firstly, let me just give my ranking:
 
1. Vacillator
2. Onanist
3. Amber Waves
4. Thatorchia
5. Punish
6. Etienne
7. Perverts
8. Housofpsychoticwomn
9. Pulldrone
 
For reference, here was my predicted ranking before I heard the album:
 
Now, let me give my notes/thoughts.
1. For people who are criticizing this album, and saying "I love Ethel, but..." I'm not really sure if you do love Ethel because this project is the epitome of her as an artist and an absolutely beautiful reflection of how she creates. Just like Preacher's Daughter, this is a CONCEPT album with many references to her past work posted on tumblr that is weaved into and through it. Rather than a traditional songwriter, I think of Ethel as more of a creative writer with that "literature brain." She tells a story via her music, and that story fits into a world based on her own original philosophy. Like Lana, Melanie, and other concept artists, she is worldbuilding, but in a more unique way that is less literal and more figurative. I think from start to end, this project is everything it is supposed to be: immersive, unsettling, thought-provoking, and creative.
2. Vacillator, my favorite track, reminds me of a blend between dust bowl, homecoming, and verona. It is the most southern/midwestern gothic on the album, and in my opinion, it is also the most consumable and catchiest on the album, even above Punish. This could've been a great lead single, but I'm actually glad she used Punish instead and waited for release day for us to all hear this masterpiece of a song. I'm so happy it got a music video, which completely match the vibe of the song. When I listen to it, I get farmhouse/rural sex imagery from it. 
3. Onanist and Thatorchia are kinda paired in my mind sonically because they both draw from shoegaze soundscapes in my opinion with the distortion and electric guitars and dreamy vocals. The melodies on Onanist are some of her best, and I'm so glad that song actually got lyrics. If Thatorchia had a more similar song structure, I might like that track even more, but its lack of lyrics bumps it down for me.
4. Another pairing in my mind, going off of the previous one, is Thatorchia and Etienne. To me, these tracks feel like the Perverts-versions of August Underground and Televangelism, respectively. I love how Thatorchia is dark and twisted, while Etienne is more of the ethereal, calm song with piano and even acoustic guitar (which is my favorite part of the song). Something that stuck out to me a lot on this album with the instrumentals was the bass. Somehow, Ethel's production just makes the bass, either electric or synth depending on the song, a very sinister tone with so much grunge and weight that completely take over the song and ground me in it. I loved this album's mixing so much, and I would love to see her creative process on it.
5. I think I overplayed Punish so much that it just doesn't stand out to me anymore and I'm not really interested in playing it. It's still a great song, which is why I ended up overplaying it, but I think it just sounds a little dull and uninteresting compared to the dynamics on the rest of the album now, which is why it is in the middle of my ranking.
 

She has been saying things like this, even before she was releasing anything 

Did a full listen of the album yesterday in this wooded area surrounded by electrical pylons, I felt close to god Perverts (the song) is really growing on me. The only song I don't care for is Pulldrone, it's just an unpleasant listen for me. Amber Waves is SOTY.

I think she really should stop with the dancers and the back up singers.
 
her energy is just so infectious when she’s there singing alone (both times I’ve seen her it was her alone, maybe the second time she was with the two og dancers)
 
but she really doesn’t need it.
 
plus a more exciting set list makes everything better.
 
to be in a hug crowd of fans and stand singing her hits and songs that have connected multiple generations is amazing

I hope everyone realizes how INSANE this is, sold out 6 stadiums in 3 days, and it's not like the tickets were cheap too. That's f insane, watch her sold out the biggest stadium in Europe next, so proud of her 

I saw her in a theatre setting with a small crowd and an Arena with a huge crowd. I preferred the theatre. 
 

So, about that... Not to be a Negative Norman, but what is the timeline of the two singles? Two singles before StageCoach (April)?
 
Didn't she already say "two singles before January," and then completely forgot
 about that? Why should we trust this statement?
 
With the format of the "cover" being all wrong, I think it's safe to assume the actual cover is still WIP. Hopefully, the record title too. It's so bad.
 
It's like "What's meant for you won't pass you by", "If they wanted to, they would", or "Actions speak louder than words."  Yeah, duh. We know. It's all over sad folks' blogs, Twitters and instagram accounts.
 
Why would anyone choose a truism for an album title? When "Lasso" is right there?
 
Most importantly, how did we go from "Born to Die," "Ultraviolence," and "Norman Fucking Rockwell," which are so powerful and evocative, to "The Right Person will Stay"?
 

The right cover will slay 

RIP Nevada, God Bless America/The Revenge Of Lana Del Rey/Do You Luv Me Yet, Tropico/Melancholia, Music To Watch Boys To, Best American Record, Bird World, White Hot Forever, Rock Candy Sweet, Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd Pearl Watch Me On Ring A Bell Psycho Lifeguard, Lasso

Neil Krug please save us 

lasso you will always be famous.. the cuntiest album title that never was

well we are mourning phsychedellic surf rock so yes

that def aint the cover tho its not even square  idk why she likes to be so messy with her announcements I thought after Ocean Blvds smooth release (besides the delay) that her and he team would wait for concrete plans b4 announcing cause wym the 21st when its not even a Friday and wym rectangle album promo? it immediately puts me on the defense 

when it turns out to be a cassette exclusive

We are SO back. But we are also SO traumatized. 

if she’s really about to scrap the country idea and nikki lane and turn it into sumn more lana-esque, southern gothic and dark then I’m definitely willing to wait 

I’m kinda exited, we know Chuck has filmed Lana forever so it will be fun to finally see what she’s captured. :3

As she should 

Chuck is gonna steal lanas phone and upload pawn shop blues to streaming and post her homemade video on her YouTube since its her favorite song

Omg that would be amazing I think I would cry though 

oui! just listen to chemtrails we don't want any more of jack strumming on a guitar yeehaw shite we want fuzzy electric guitars and trip hop drums 

yes it was dead silent we don't want a country alboom delete lasso it's time to release your trip-hop psychedelic rock masterpiece

Reworked lyrics

is the swamp in your eyes, anti-vaxxer?
do the trans-coloured flags light your fire? 
we are Trumpy crocodiles
They will never understand
the kind of people you and I am
bow your hands and crack your cans
 
we are redneck cosplayers
Cosplaying rednecks 
 

honestly it wasn't fair to use the pitchfork article here, because they rated the album much lower than most other magazines. it was in fact one of the best albums of the year and it was nowhere inspired by lana
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/482256-ethel-cain-preachers-daughter.php