Norman Fucking Rockwell - Pre-Release Thread

[Beautiful Loser 48,739]

Alright. I’ve listened through it all once and I’m ready to write my thoughts down only to get lost in this cursed thread.

 

 

NFR - This was so beautiful. SO beautiful I felt like keeping my breath in in awe. It made me cry, something I did not expect to do. Those strings. The harp. Her voice. Her way of always finding a way to sing “blue” in the most beautiful way ever. Her fluttering higher notes. Hearing this, I knew it would be worth waiting eleven months and that this album would only mean excellence.

MAC - And then comes Mariners. Oh wow wow wow, perfect placement. I still love this song.

Venice - Eleven (what feels like hellish) months and I still love this song to pieces. I love everything about it. Everything. But I’m no longer certain if it’s the best song on the album anymore - it has some tough contestants. But three absolutely perfect songs after each other... I was weak.

FIILY - The harmonies?? Gave me Lizzy vibes?? And little did I know they would slightly be back later in the album for Bartender. I love the mumbling part layered between her high, breathy “fuck it, I love you”. Makes an otherwise mediocre song to something magical. Love the end.

Doin’ Time - Felt odd after fuck it, and the lyrics doesn’t really have to do anything with the rest of the album. Am I still grateful it’s on the album? Yes, I am. A bop is a bop and I love it.

Love Song - I was struck by how intimate the lyrics are for this song. And realized that this way of writing lyrics or her way of storytelling has changed for this album. Never has she sounded so honest. No dreams of Hollywood and fame, no dramatic sceneries, none of that - this feels new. And I’m here for it. Too beautiful.

Cinnamon - I’ve mentioned for months that I’ve been worried that this song would become what Cherry became to me - boring, aging after just a few months. I’m relieved to know it won’t. This song has way too many layers for it to not be interesting. The on-the-edge-to-scary harmonies right before the chorus. Just wow. The beats... how it blows up to something different at the end, like we hoped for... it’s another magnificent song.

HTD - Honestly, I can’t be mad at those beats. I agree, the live version with just a piano was perfect and may be better than this album version. But I just can’t dislike it. I can’t.

California - Next song which made me cry. It’s obviously about Barrie, like you’ve said. The chorus just went straight into my heart, oh my god. Her harmonies. The UV and Lizzy hints in them. I absolutely love second the pre-chorus too.

BAR - I thought I would be disappointed to hear the old instrumental on this track. Surprisingly, I’m not. But it will take me so time to warm up to the new lyric lines and memorize them and forget about the demo I’ve had in my mind for two years. Really grateful that the bridge stayed the same. Found a bit humorous that they kept “fame” echoing in the background when she’s not singing “good”. A bit sad it ended differently.

The greatest - She made me chuckle when I heard “the culture’s lit and I had a ball”. Love to hear a similar guitar to VB in this song. The last lines are everything, she summarizes our current times quite perfectly.

Bartender - This really sounds like it could be something she wrote back in her Lizzy days, lyrically! Sneaking out to be with a bartender. I love that, it’s a very cute and fun song.

Happiness - a kii that she kept “sing it for my babies on the tour life” but hey, somehow it kind of fits on this album with her pondering about her current and past life? I don’t mind it for now. And I really didn’t expect it to make me cry! What the heck. Lana, how are you able to make me cry again?

hope - I gotta day, it’s a great ender after have heard the two previous songs. Both are piano driven and now that’s all we have left.

 

All in all, I know it’s all new and I’ve been looking forward to this for almost a year but I think this might really be her best album so far. And that says a lot considering how much I LOVE the previous records (LFL a bit less tho lol). This feels like a new Lana, again. The lyrics in this album feel like the most honest ones so far. I think the older songs were true to her too, but maybe this time, this is like... the inner core of who she is? I don’t know to explain it.

I’ve almost heard the album twice while writing this. I know that the third and fourth and fifth and endless more times will only make it sound better.

Thank you Lana, and Jack.

 

[Obduration 6,548]

Four hours til we graduate!!

[movebaby 5,379]

i'm still catching up on this thread but i just wanted to add...anyone who did the uv vs nfr song-by-song comparison and picked The Next Best American Record over The First Best Lana Del Rey Song deserves the electric chair

[kraljicabenzinske 11,252]

i'd like to be here for the death of this thread but it will be 6am my time lol

[American Bottom 16,228]

She didnt have to snap as hard as she did in the second verse of HTD

 

[Jared 3,131]

HTD is a masterpiece. Top 5 song!

[Paris Hilton 9,737]

what do you think LDR6 is going to be titled? I hope MAC is in the album

[divebarsinger 2,715]

i think she's hit her radio friendly stride and this is why this record will be her most successful. it's very accessible and listenable, i think ignoring some of the melancholy lyrics is quite easy, similarly to what she said you can just kinda play it as you have dinner. i can also imagine every track being played in a film/tv series so in that respect she hasn't strayed too far from the cinematic aspect. so far i do like it for what it is, i'm enjoying it. lyrically it does represent so much of why i became a fan. what i miss is something a bit more dynamic and powerful in terms of sound

[Rorman Nockwell 56,658]

I'm just getting started. I'm about to become beyond insufferable, you better prepare to press ignore button.

 

I don't know if you think you're funny or what ... but you're really not, buddy. You're just trolling at this point.

 

Consider it pressed.

[YourPoetryIsBad 89]

All the ladies pop your pussy like this of the canyon...

[house of balloons 12,792]

not me streaming nfr on spotify and acting all emotional as if i haven't listened to the leaks 456851265 times 

[Coney Island King 25,999]

Love Song and HIAB are the weakest for me. For now.

[love deluxe 8,861]

so excited to listen to the album legally in 4 hours lol

[Obduration 6,548]

not me streaming nfr on spotify and acting all emotional as if i haven't listened to the leaks 456851265 times

Legality hit different

[gatadelrey 4,617]

3 hrs and 53 minutes. My soul is ready.

[divebarsinger 2,715]

faves on first full listen: 

 

love song

california

the next best american record

bartender

happiness is a butterfly

hope is a dangerous thing

 

i'm disappointed cos i think cinnamon girl and how to disappear were ruined compared to the snippets, doin time does fit well as a 'fun track', norman fucking rockwell is good lyrically but i just feel so lukewarm about it overall 

 

rest i can give or take, however this could change so don't quote me

[YUNGATA 14,955]

y'all can stop mass reporting Jared I mod queued him already

[SparkleJumpropeNoose 8,750]

y'all can stop mass reporting Jared I mod queued him already

wig

[house of balloons 12,792]

that black line on the artwork is destroying my sight 

[CmonDownToFL 6,680]

Imagine being on the highway in your convertible, you look up & there’s miss thing’s bussy