Blue Banisters - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[prettywhenimhigh 48,260]

1 minute ago, That Venice Bitch said:

I just saw that that’s so funny  Two of the producers liked them too!

 

your sophie the embroidery girl era 

[DCooper 34,326]

3 minutes ago, Honeyyoung said:

has anyone tried to call the number she sings on dealer?

 

It's a 555 number which means it doesn't exist. That's why movies always use 555.

[prettywhenimhigh 48,260]

BBS OUTRO

[Let the Light In 15,110]

Ok here's the deal for the quality issues. I made a survey with different headphones with ranging quality, and also different streaming services.

 

Spotify version is just awful with every headphone. No matter what quality option you choose there's chipping all over the album. The better quality the headphone is the more distinguished the sound is and the more noticable and unbearable the chipping is. With lower quality headphones, chipping is still there but the layers are more compressed so you don't notice it that much.

 

So if we make comparison between services: Apple Music > Youtube Music > Spotify = Standard Youtube Video

 

So if you are listening to Spotify and hearing awful and disturbing chipping noises, don't worry there's nothing wrong with your headphones. I hope they fix spotify soon but I doubt it.

[lostindarkparadise 1,924]

queen 

[strange weather 1,950]

So...the songs are amazing, but I can't help but feeling "off" about the album because of the reused leaked songs. If I view the album as more of a compilation of b-sides with some new stuff, it's easier for me to appreciate it without feeling slightly disappointed.

I have to say, I never liked the leaked version of "Thunder" much so I think she did a great job changing it up on the album.

I'm still in love with BB (the song) and WW. I love BBS because it's so current and personal to her life right now. I guess that's also what is getting to me--what are the old songs telling us about Lana today? I don't know. Hm.

My biggest issue: the quality. I tried playing it loud on good speakers and it sounds like crap. I guess this is more of a headphones album, but still.

[Super Movie 50,261]

Here's my full, in-depth Blue Banisters review (I put it in a spoiler tag because it's kind of lengthy). PItchfork has nothing on me 

Spoiler

Text Book - 7/10 

I really like this song. It's always given me a bit of a Russian mystery-movie vibe. Lyrically, I find it very compelling. The song takes her relationship with men and compares it to her relationship with her father in a sense. The opening line "I guess you could call it text book" is one I've always found to be the most interesting in the song, oddly enough. People have always expected Lana to have daddy issues, so her having talking about her father is "text book" daddy issues. I also enjoy the tempo change on this song. It gets a little messy at some points, but that initial switch up is probably my favorite moment in the entire song. Overall, while it's probably lower on my list of Lana album openers and my least favorite of the singles released beforehand, I still enjoy it. 

 

Blue Banisters - 8.5/10

This track is the pinnacle of this album. It pinpoints each piece of the puzzle that has been Lana's life over the past few years and puts it all together. What I love about this song is how it manages to mix the melancholy and the hopeful. It opens on somewhat of a dark note, with Lana singing about a lover who left her despite promising her that he wouldn't and how she now has to cope with that. However, it ends with Lana reflecting on the great things in her life like Chuck and the new baby and her dogs and her friends. There's a message there about coming out of the blue and into the green/grey, which contradicts "out of the black, into the blue" in a fantastic way, in my opinion. The ongoing synth in this song is also part of what makes it so magical. It mixes in with the piano incredibly well and sort of guides you through the song. I also love that Lana's voice on this song is like one of the instruments. She uses different volumes and techniques with her voice to tell you the story. It wasn't a favorite of mine at first, but it's become one. An incredible track. 

 

Arcadia - 8/10

Arcadia is an almost Disney-like journey through California-soaked metaphors in which you reach your final destination, Lana's emotions and desires. I fell in love with this song the second I heard it. I love the way the horns and strings slowly build up as if they're preparing you for them rather than throwing themselves at you. The lyrics of this song are quite bittersweet, as well. She invites you to take a tour of her body, or her "map of LA", where we're lead to Lana's hurt over certain situations ("they built me up 300 feet tall just to tear me down"), and then it eventually ends on a light note in which she tells her haters that she'll pray for them. I also find this song to be one of her best vocal performances on the album despite it not being too crazy. 

 

Interlude - The Trio - 7/10 

By far my favorite interlude that Lana has ever done. A bit out of place on the album, sure, but it's fantastic regardless. The sample  of Ennio Morricone's "The Trio" was a great choice. The moment when the beat kicks in is like pure fire being lit up. Not necessarily a favorite track of mine, but for what it is, I enjoy it. 

 

Black Bathing Suit - 10/10

It's taken me a while to find the right words to describe how splendidly chaotic this song is. The way it gives you a timeline of that rough point in early quarantine, particularly that spring/summer in the aftermath of Question for the Culture and everything else, is so candid but so genius. Her vocals slowly get crazier throughout the song, ending on her screaming things like "no one does it better", "let them talk about me", "they're fucking broke and we're laughing about it" among others. By the end of the song, I feel as though I've gone through similar experiences to Lana herself. The production ties the whole song together. It opens with a music-box like melody with the sound of crows over it. There's a slight switch up between the verses and pre-chorus, but then a tempo change between the pre-chorus, and I feel these are crucial to the song. It's supposed to be messy, almost to signify the craziness of the things she had been going through when writing the song. Only an artist like Lana could make a song so sad yet so sarcastic yet so triumphant at the same time. Absolutely fucking spectacular song, one of the best Lana has ever made. 

 

If You Lie Down With Me - 10/10

This is my favorite song on the album. The piano is so rich and full, and Lana's vocal delivery on this song is stunning. I adore the soft guitar the plays throughout the song. The highlight, however, is when the horns kick in. They're straight out of a 1920s flapper show and they're an absolute treat to listen to. Lana's refrain of "la la la lie la la la la lie" is super catchy as well as incredible. What this song does best is taking simple things like that and making them extravagant. The lyrics on this song also contain some of my favorites on the album. "Burnt by fire without trial like a stowaway" is one of my favorites she's ever written. This song is also in collaboration with Barrie James O'Neill, someone who has made some incredible songs with Lana in the past. This song, however, I think is the best one they've ever done together. If You Lie Down With Me is classic Lana sultriness at it's best.

 

Beautiful - 7.5/10 

Beautiful is the track on this album that I personally feel is the most reminiscent of being Lana's revenge that she described back in March 2021. That revenge being a stunning, rich piano track (with strings on the version I prefer) detailing how she can write about sad things and still make it into something beautiful. Something I find to be interesting about this song is that it's not actually a sad song. It's Lana showing joy and contentment in the way that she writes, and telling her listener that regardless of what they think, she will remain true to herself and her work. Similarly to Blue Banisters, Lana's voice feels like as much of an instrument as the actual instruments on this song do in the best way possible. This song is the type of song I think of when I think of great piano ballads. 

 

Violets for Roses - 8.5/10

Yet another song with a phenomenal build up. We open on that rich, clear and stunning piano and slowly lead into one of my favorite string arrangements I've heard from Lana thus far on this album. This is one of those songs that wouldn't work as well with heavy beats, synths or electric guitars. It needed to be exactly how it is. In it's lyrics, this song entails Lana breaking free from a man who wanted to control her and her life + to make her change who she was. This song isn't sad, though. It feels more like relief.  The way that the instrumental and the vocals bleed together in this song create something that can best be described as a serene experience. As time goes on, I have a feeling that this song will move it's way higher on my album ranking. 

 

Dealer - 8/10

A complete 180 from the previous song, Dealer features Miles Kane and is seemingly structured as though it's meant to be a voicemail. The first singer, Miles, is pleading with Lana not to try to contact or go looking for him. The second singer, Lana, is angry about this and screams "I don't wanna live, I don't wanna give you nothing, 'Cause you never give me nothing back, Why can't you be good for something? Not one shirt off your back". Her verse is the highlight of the song, with Lana exploring a part of her voice that she hasn't in a long time. The song is as playful as it is aggressive, but it works so well. I once described this song as "being in a karaoke lounge on acid", and I still somewhat stand by that sentiment (although the final version isn't as acid-y). The production on the song is quite simple, being just drums, keyboard and bass. But with the lyrics being so straight-forward, I don't think that the song needed grandiose production. It's pure anger and desperation and that's what makes it so good. 

 

Thunder - 10/10

After knowing and loving the demo version of Thunder that leaked in 2020, I have to say, I was quite nervous about the final version. Those nerves were completely erased when I heard it. Thunder is a career highlight for Lana. It opens with piano and horror-movie like strings, but eventually evolves into an extraordinary mix of piano, guitar, drums and strings. The song is more of an experience than a song. It's astonishing. The production on this version makes the lyrics hit so much harder than they did on the original. Lana sings with a hint of frustration in her voice on this track. She pleads with her lover to "keep on burning" if he's on fire. Lyrically, it feels similar to a song off of Lana's album Ultraviolence, 
"Black Beauty". Lana sees this guy become the life of the party in public, but the man she sees in private is a completely different person. Part of my issue with the original version was that the instrumental was just so repetitive, so I really like that it's not on this version. There aren't enough words in any language to describe my love for this song. The only thing else I can really say is that it completely blew me away. 

 

Wildflower Wildfire - 10/10

This song was my favorite out of the three singles that Lana released. It's the ultimate piano ballad on this album. Wildflower Wildfire gives you a mix of sadness, anger, heartache, hopefulness and contentness all in just under 5 minutes. The song is one of Lana's most personal. Particularly in the second verse in which she says "Here's the deal, my father never stepped in when his wife would rage at me, so I ended up awkward but sweet, later than hospital scent still on my  feet...comfortably numb, but with lithium came poetry". The song to me feels as though she's calling out people directly. She starts lines with "Here's the deal", the aforementioned second verse starting with "You say there's gaps to fill in, so here". Lana isn't watering things down for a second on this song. She's telling her listeners what happened and how it lead her to where she is now. And it all culminates into a grand final chorus with distorted drums kicking in. This track is also the only one on the album produced by Mike Dean, which feels somewhat obvious when comparing it to the rest of the album. Wildflower is one of my favorite Lana songs ever, and I'm immensely grateful for it. 

 

Nectar of the Gods - 7/10

This is another track I've known for a while. It wasn't changed from the original version, but that original version is a beautiful little song. I find Lana's vocal delivery to be the highlight here as opposed to the soft, guitar instrumental. Her lyrics really shine on this track. Sure, the chorus may be a bit basic, but it's wrapped in between some beautifully written verses. Even the title (and lyric that the title comes from) is beautiful and gives me such an interesting visual. There's not too much for me to say on this song seeing as I have known it for some time, but I still love it just the same. 

 

Living Legend - 7.5/10

Another song I've heard before. However, this song has actually grown on me quite a bit since finding a home on Blue Banisters. I can't say I was the biggest fan of it before that, but I've recently grown to appreciate it's beauty. The song is an ode to a friend of Lana's from years ago and is very sweet, yet melancholic lyrically. She shows a lot of emotion in her voice throughout the song, which I find to be one of Lana's greatest assets. The song is filled with piano and heavy guitar throughout the song. Nothing too unusual for Lana...except for when you get to the end. The song's big finish is Lana essentially miming an electric guitar solo with her voice. Despite Living Legend not being a favorite of mine on the album as a whole, this moment is one of my favorites on the entire album. This song is for sure a vocal highlight. 

 

Cherry Blossom - 7/10

Okay, last song that we already know. This song doesn't pull any punches. It's a sweet, straightforward lullaby for a baby that has yet to be born, possibly being put on the album in dedication to Lana's sister Chuck's newborn. The lyrics of the song, while simple, are so lovely. It's filled with lines such as "little ghost, tall tan like milk and honey/with lemonade tea", "swing it high like Jesus", and so many others. The production on the final version is stunning. There's so many little intricacies in the piano. Once again, there's not too much to say on this song, but I'm glad that it finally found a home.

 

Sweet Carolina - 8/10 

The last track on the album, Sweet Carolina was made in collaboration with Lana's father, Rob, and her sister, Chuck. The song is somewhat of a letter to her sister in which she gives her her unconditional love, reassurance and support. It's nothing too fancy, and offers some funny lyrics, but all in all the song goes right to the heart (or at least it did for me). I find it so sweet that Lana went from a song like Text Book in where she's "looking for the father she wanted back" to Sweet Carolina, in which her father plays piano on the song. I also find this song to be the most personal on this song. As I previously said, it sounds and reads like it's a letter to Chuck that we weren't meant to hear. It's a great way to tie a ribbon on the wonderful gift that is Blue Banisters. 

All in all, Blue Banisters is Lana at her best. It's a shift from the sounds of her previous two albums, and yet manages to sound like a classic that's been passed down from generation to generation. Also, I was 100% right when I said that this album would be Lana's Fetch The Bolt Cutters. This is by far her most raw and "experimental" album yet. Similarly to FTBC, some moments are so vulnerable that it's almost uncomfortable to listen to. But that's all part of the genius. While she does use heavy piano on this album, that piano is a stark difference from what has been used in the past two years or so. It's bold and makes you aware of it's present rather than fading into the background. All of the instrumentals on this album are lush, being tied together with some fantastic lyrics.

 

My current overall rating for the album is a 9/10, but this could very well change over time. Here's my current track ranking:

1. If You Lie Down With Me
2. Black Bathing Suit
3. Thunder
4. Wildflower Wildfire
5. Violets for Roses
6. Blue Banisters
7. Dealer
8. Sweet Carolina
9. Beautiful 
10. Arcadia
11. Living Legend
12. Nectar of the Gods
13. Text Book
14. Cherry Blossom 
15. The Trio (although this one feels kind of unrankable to be honest) 

 

That's all from me, thanks for reading 

 

[prettywhenimhigh 48,260]

2 minutes ago, Thoth said:

Ok here's the deal for the quality issues. I made a survey with different headphones with ranging quality, and also different streaming services.

 

Spotify version is just awful with every headphone. No matter what quality option you choose there's chipping all over the album. The better quality the headphone is the more distinguished the sound is and the more noticable and unbearable the chipping is. With lower quality headphones, chipping is still there but the layers are more compressed so you don't notice it that much.

 

So if we make comparison between services: Apple Music > Youtube Music > Spotify = Standard Youtube Video

 

So if you are listening to Spotify and hearing awful and disturbing chipping noises, don't worry there's nothing wrong with your headphones. I hope they fix spotify soon but I doubt it.

 

thank you! the chipping is definitely there so annoying

[brandon 12,005]

4 hours ago, FredRed said:

Not sure if this was posted but a bunch of songs, maybe all, are official on YouTube now.  Mystified why they would do this on drop day.

Why wouldn’t they? it makes it more accessible and they count as streams 

[Honeyyoung 16,967]

13 minutes ago, alienprincess said:

love lana but let's be real her fans eat up anything she puts out

because it's all good 

[prettywhenimhigh 48,260]

beautiful's intro literally looks like this

 

[palemoonbaby 13,336]

This album sounds like something classical released in 90s

[littleredpartydress 48,148]

17 minutes ago, alienprincess said:

She could walk out there in a f****ing diaper 
And they're like: "Valentina! Your smile is beautiful!"...

  Hide contents

love lana but let's be real her fans eat up anything she puts out

 

And what about it

[GetFree 1,861]

Unpopular opinion:

 

I’m so happy she went for the non-strings version of Beautiful, the sparkly piano was very silenced in the strings version and that would’ve been a shame because it’s so.. beautiful.mp3.

[prettywhenimhigh 48,260]

20 minutes ago, alienprincess said:

She could walk out there in a f****ing diaper 
And they're like: "Valentina! Your smile is beautiful!"...

  Reveal hidden contents

love lana but let's be real her fans eat up anything she puts out

 

 

ma'am this is a lanaboards.com's

[Corona 1,950]

I don't want to listen on Apple Music because my listens won't count for my Spotify Wrapped, but the quality there is so much better

 

I really hope they fix this soon, but for some reason I don't think her team even knows they screwed up

[Venice Jesus Whore 4,456]

40 minutes ago, prettywhenimhigh said:

 

omg!!!! I'm so glad I was wrong I thought she was getting a 70 or 60

 

 I hope it does get a 60 

39 minutes ago, opheliaandthemotel said:

the disrespect of pitchfork to say this albul is the same level as LFL. girl BYE

BB supremacy

 

they’re not wrong 

[bff 2,454]

I could listen to Lana say “our circuits are busy, goodbye! all circuits are busy, you’re high!” on a 3 hour loop in one sitting

[Corona 1,950]

23 minutes ago, alienprincess said:

She could walk out there in a f****ing diaper 
And they're like: "Valentina! Your smile is beautiful!"...

  Reveal hidden contents

love lana but let's be real her fans eat up anything she puts out

 

That's because she's an artists that constantly feeds us quality music and is not afraid to put out her art exactly the way she wants

 

Her authenticity will always add a whole other level to the music

[prettywhenimhigh 48,260]

Just now, Urbanney said:

 I hope it does get a 60 

 

 tf sis