Norman Fucking Rockwell - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[West Coast 45,897]

Here's a thing Jared, all lot of people think the production on NFR is literally the most lackluster and bland of all her albums. You guys can try to convince yourself that the production/mastering amateur mistakes were intentional and add to the so called "charm" of the record, but it ain't it. Jack is not the musical genius you make out to be, and that's that.

 

Here's another too, accolades don't mean crap. Critics echo one another, and this happen to be Lana's least controversial album to date and we're past the days of Lana being considered a manufactured no talent Daddie's little girl. People (even her harshest critics) now consider her an interesting artist. 1+1 always equals 2.

[CinnamonGay 10,527]

NFR doesnt have the big production because it's mostly a mood/everyday life album. Theres no drama,less cinematic production and it fits so well. Very stripped down INTENTIONALLY.

 

Smh cant people.just appreciate records for what they are instead of making that a competition too!!!

[Jared 3,132]

I see nothing wrong with reiterating the facts and bringing a dose of reality to counter many hallucinations that I come across on this site. Here's a few of those facts.

 

- Lana hasn't lost her touch or passion for music --- is not retiring --- and is more inspired than ever.

- Lana is so deeply invested into her new music/NFR that she has given more interviews over the last couple of months than at any point during her career.

- NFR is viewed as Lana's magnum upus and masterpiece --- is her most acclaimed album to date.

- Nobody outside of this site is noticing anything wrong with Jack's production because there's nothing wrong with it.

- Jack is one of the best and most prolific producers right now and has produced three of the most acclaimed albums of this decade 

 

[The Greatest 8,805]

imagine feeling the need to constantly try to tear down a critically acclaimed album and try to convince other people not to like it. what is that doing for you? if you dont like it dont listen? 

[ArtDecoDelRey 15,284]

imagine feeling the need to constantly try to tear down a critically acclaimed album and try to convince other people not to like it. what is that doing for you? if you dont like it dont listen? 

i really do not think that any of us are convincing anyone to not listen to the album...i actually love them album but does that mean i can't be *slightly* critical of it? Once again - "critically acclaimed" is bullshit for the most part, so you can get the delusional thoughts out of your head now...

[West Coast 45,897]

Imagine thinking we do not listen to this album almost on a daily basis... I cannot

Just because, me, or other people do not like certain aspects of the album and think that this critical acclaim thing is bullshit, do you honestly think we hate the album from start to finish??

 

There are obviously skips and cringe moments (both lyrically and production wise) on this album, but it still a decent record.

 

Criticizing and hating: learn the difference!

[Jared 3,132]

Us 3 NFR stans on this board need to stick together and defend the album and Jack's honor against the tireless, malicious propaganda attacks coming from Ultraviolence and Honeymoon stans. We need to fight for NFR and Jack until the very last drop of our blood! 

 

[Paris Hilton 9,988]

Venice Bitch? Do you remember her? The most gorgeous track ever made? 

[West Coast 45,897]

"malicious propaganga" I can't with you Jack Jared   remember how you got almost banned because of

magnum opus   

 

And you 3 Jack stans need to realize not everyone is onboard with what Lana went for (and is apparently still going for for Wet Hot American Summer), no matter how much you keep mentioning Pitchfork reviews and Metacritic scores.

[The Greatest 8,805]

i really do not think that any of us are convincing anyone to not listen to the album...i actually love them album but does that mean i can't be *slightly* critical of it? Once again - "critically acclaimed" is bullshit for the most part, so you can get the delusional thoughts out of your head now...

i didnt say not to listen, i said not to like. People are more than slightly critical--every time I come on this pre release thread that's not even supposed to be about NFR I see people talking shit about it. Sorry I would rather just enjoy it. Also calling me delusional for calling the album critically acclaimed makes zero sense

[American Whore 51,719]

the only main thing i didn’t like about NFR compared to other ones was when they mixed CG, they shouldn’t have blended the vocals from the pre-chorus and chorus. It sounds rushed and like a production flaw that wasn’t intentional, even if it is. I hope that same thing isn’t showcased on another album like that. Speaking of i wanna hear a demo of that track tbh and see if it’s like that in a demo or not

[Cacciatore 19,347]

 

- Lana is so deeply invested into her new music/NFR that she has given more interviews over the last couple of months than at any point during her career.

 

 

If she's soooooooo invested into her new music why is she barely performing said music then?

 

[FallingCherry 7,731]

 

I see nothing wrong with reiterating the facts and bringing a dose of reality to counter many hallucinations that I come across on this site. Here's a few of those facts.

 

- Lana hasn't lost her touch or passion for music --- is not retiring --- and is more inspired than ever.

- Lana is so deeply invested into her new music/NFR that she has given more interviews over the last couple of months than at any point during her career.

- NFR is viewed as Lana's magnum upus and masterpiece --- is her most acclaimed album to date.

- Nobody outside of this site is noticing anything wrong with Jack's production because there's nothing wrong with it.

- Jack is one of the best and most prolific producers right now and has produced three of the most acclaimed albums of this decade

 

This. Especially the part where you say that nobody outside the site finds any problem with the production. I've literally never seen anybody say bad things about the production or Jack. People are praising him everywhere. But for some reason, people on LanaBoards will always find something against him and say he's a bad producer even with the amount of masterpieces he has produced already and keeps producing. Kinda funny, kinda sad.

[Crimson and Clover 22,556]

y'all really turned this to the NFR hate thread smh 

[Doll Harlow 12,369]

I'm still in awe of California 

 

[Creyk 11,743]

I'm still in awe of California 

 

 

Me too. To think she had it for 2,5 years and didn't think to release it. It's like...what else is she sitting on?

[UltraHeroin 8,803]

Nfr is a magneficent record, right there up with UV and HM. Everybody picks a favourite out of the three of course, everyone has different taste but what matters and what can't be denied is that this is THE trinity of her discography.

[takeitdoen 10,629]

 

- Nobody outside of this site is noticing anything wrong with Jack's production because there's nothing wrong with it.

 

 

If you're a casual fan you're probably not listening closely. Critics are hardly going to be listening to Lana's album on repeat at every part of the day at full volume. The reason we hear it is because we're rabid fans who obsess over these details (as I hope we should - we're fans on LANAboards). I had a quick skip through and these are some of the things I heard (some with timestamps so you can find them quickly)

 

Norman Fucking Rockwell

This is so sloppy the whole thing might be style choice. Throughout the opening you can hear things moving, lips smacking etc.

0:18 – 0:22: Lips moving

 

Mariners + Venice Bitch + Happiness is a Butterfly

Good!

 

Fuck It I Love You

I mean, arguably you all hate the CD alt version so you tell me.

 

Cinnamon Girl

0:28: This is very obviously a different take with clearer vocals.

1:41 – After “Kerosine” you can hear a case or something shift in the background

 

Doin’ Time –

Perfect because it has totally different production. 

 

Love Song 

0:27: Instrumental loop drops in volume and then restarts noticeably.

1:04 – On ‘Oh, be my once in a lifetime’, the mic placement is closer to her, which causes the vocal line to be louder. This doesn’t happen in the second chorus, but the bass is boosted higher.

 

How to Disappear

0:07 onwwards: The instruments are crackling and peaking slightly on the bass. Maybe it’s a . . . choice.

0:51: The microphone peaks and her voice whistles (from no hi pass filter) on the word ‘to’

2:37: The mixing is bad. The vocals are too quiet compared to the first portion of the song, now with very loud backing.

 

The Next Best American Record 

0:07 + 0:10 there is a scuff on the guitar where the frets are moved.

Vocals have an ambient hiss behind them (not Jack’s fault, a trademark Rick fuck up)

1:21 “Fame” reverb echo.

 

Bartender

Vocals have the ambient hiss

 

The Greatest 

4:08: in the left speaker you can hear the guitar shifting against pants.

 

California 

Vocals have ambient hiss

 

Hope 

Fine I guess, but would you really consider this as well produced as the rest of the album. You can hear lip smacks and the mouth opening and there’s hiss but they proudly did this in one take . . .

 

At the end of the day, you can clearly hear these nitpicks. They're nitpicks, but they're there, and you look like a fool for saying that they don't exist simply because they do. I love love LOVE NFR! but it's undeniable that 

 

HOWEVER, if you're not an audiophile or you're not consistently listening to it with high quality headphones, you would never pick up on these. This shit happens all the time across every genre - at the end of Florence + The Machine's 'What the Water Gave Me' you can hear someone moving their drumsticks, you can hear someone cough in the back of Madonna's 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina', on The Little Mermaid legacy collection random instrumental fades come up here and there.

 

It's disappointing when simple mistakes like this happen since to me, it sounds like someone hasn't given it a proper listen with the same care that's been put into making it. Maybe it's a stylistic choice, and a result of the album being made quickly, but frankly I'm not interested in having this lack of attention again on White Hot Forever simple because I like cleaner sounding records. Jack is a talented musician and will go down as a modern legend, and NFR! deserves the praise buttt

 

thanks for the good laugh too hun, Ultraviolence and Honeymoon are miles ahead from NFR in terms of cohesiveness and soundscape AND that's that on that.

Yes, here here. How can anyone claim that NFR is more cohesive than HM when its music was produced by at least three different people! TNBAR has the same textual and sonic patches as Heroin and 13 Beaches. Bartender is beautiful but fuckin' random. Doin' Time is super hot but from like, literally another planet. Ultraviolence is more cohesive but sonically HM has it going on from start to end.

[elanodelrey 530]

Norman f Rockwell is almost 2 months old and I have to say this is my favorite album from Lana <3

Uv and hm were topped with this one and that’s impressive :’)

[Creyk 11,743]

Cinnamon Girl -  California - Happiness is a butterfly

The trinity.