Blue Banisters - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[Pico Ocean Boulevard 41,455]

Also I would love to take a moment & write a few thoughts about every song on this album down.

Text Book : In my opinion this is one of her best songs. It's a stunning opener for this album & the production is phenomal. Love the lyrics & the fucking outro is so gorgeous,  it literally makes me transcend everytime

Blue Banisters: The title track has grew ALOT on me. I love it now,  it's so beautiful. Love the storytelling. My favourite aspect about this song is the instrumental & the outro. It puts me in a trance 

Arcadia : There were times where I was a bit bored of it but in the last few weeks it started to hit. Such a beautiful beautiful song. The strings & the trumpets

Interlude - The Trio: I don't mind it on the album bc it slaps actually 

Black Bathing Suit: 11/10. My favourite song from this album. The chaos, the lyrics  her VOCALS, the intro, the drums, the tempo changes she snapped with this song so hard. Song of the year for a reason!!

 

If You Lie Down With Me:  It aged so beautifully & is definetly one of my faves. I said it already but I say it again,  I want this song to be my wedding song the last chorus is everything, obsessed with it. The outro is a highlight !!!

 

Beautiful: More of an unpopular opinion but I love this song a lot. I love the message & I'm still obsessed with the raindrop piano 

 

Violets For Roses: Another one of my faves. I can relate to it alot but somehow it makes me feel good & it's giving me major self love vibes which I needed. It sounds beautiful & classic Lana & the pre chorus is truly phenomal 

 

Dealer: This song slaps  Might be my favourite Lana collab along with Stargirl!! I'm a fan of the Arctic Monkeys & enjoy some work from Miles Kane & The Last Shadow Puppets & I get a simliar vibe to them from Dealer. Love Miles vocal performance but Lana is clearly the highlight on this song. Her fucking vocals are everything what I ever wanted to hear from her & more. The outro is sexy. Also this song hits when you feel mad, tired or annoyed

Thunder:  In my opinion this is a classic.  It's such a beautiful song , one of my favourites songs from her. The build up is gorgeous,  the strings were such a great addition. Her vocals are everything in the second part of the song. Love the drums & the little e-guitar riffs  Sometimes I listen to the demo which is still so good. But she truly made Thunder even better

 

Wildflower Wildfire: This should be considered as another classic. I live for her vocal performance on this song. Lyrically it's one of her best for me. The melody is everything & then the explosion of the song towards the end   

 

Nectar Of The Gods: I'm so happy it found it's home finally. It's only Lana & an acoustic guitar but this song has something special about it. Within the album somehow I appreciate Nectar even more & I already build a strong connection with it over the years 

Living Legend: I have to admit that I sometimes skip it when I don't feel good bc this song hits me so much , it's quite an intense listening for me. My favourite part is the bridge & the why why part , sometimes I start to cry so hard during the why why part  I still haven't figured out  after all those years why it hit me so much but it does

Cherry Blossom: I don't even know why but very recently I'm obsessed with CB. Such a beautiful song. Everytime I listen to it I wish someone would hold me & sing this song to me 

Sweet Carolina: This is still such a sweet song. Sounds almost like a lullaby. I have to admit that I started to listen to this song before I go to bed. It's so sweet & calming. Rob is so good at playing piano. It's also the perfect closer for this album 

[CinnamonGay 10,527]

Top 3 Ldr album for sure. 

The vocals. the lyrics. 

So relatable....

 

 

[ByDayAnother 1,920]

I loved Violets For Roses Early on, but it just keeps getting better for me. It’s so simple yet defiant and meandering at the same time. There have been times I’ve been so sad and directionless and the line ‘And still the shadows haunt the Avenue; the silence is deafening’ just hits me like a tonne of bricks, which is strange given how delicate the song is. It’s happy and mournful at the same time, and that’s the tonal ambivalence I’ve really come to love about her strongest lyrical moments among her last three albums.

[TrashMagiq 59,002]

the way her worst album has some of her best songs it's really impressive tbh 

[13beachess 7,620]

12 hours ago, bored said:

I still think she doesn't get enough credit for her songwriting. Like, over the last 3 years we've had some amazing albums and multiple career highs. And she seems to only be getting better with Blue Banisters and Watercolor Eyes!

 

If you look at the amount of music we've gotten in just over 2 years, and the quality overall. There's nobody else doing it like her and she doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon...

 

I wouldn't be surprised if we get more new music throughout this year and personally I can't wait.

 

I've put a list of the songs I'm talking about above, below. And wow, that's only half her discography

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Arcadia

Bartender

Beautiful

Black Bathing Suit

Blue Banisters

Breaking Up Slowly

California

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Cherry Blossom

Cinammon Girl

Dance Till We Die

Dark But Just A Game

Dealer

Doin Time

Fuck It, I Love You

Happiness Is A Butterfly

Hope Is A Dangerous Thing...

How To Disappear

If You Lie Down With Me

Let Me Love You Like A Woman

Living Legend 

Looking For America

Love Song 

Mariners Apartment Complex

Nectar Of The Gods

Norman Fucking Rockwell

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Sweet Carolina

Text Book

The Greatest

The Next Best American Record

Thunder

Tulsa Jesus Freak

Venice Bitch 

Violets For Roses

Watercolor Eyes

White Dress

Wild At Heart

Wildflower Wildfire

Yosemite

 

 

 

ughh, WE ARE SO LUCKY. SO BLESSED, YET SO GREEDY  or well yeah, I can only speak for myself. we've gotten real fed UP but I still WANT MORE - and I want it now 

 

------

 

 

Btw, I've finally realised that If You Lie Down With Me is a career highlight 

[Mer 62,591]

Sweet Carolina is now my favorite on the album.

 

Top 5

1. Sweet Carolina

2. Black Bathing Suit 

3. Wildflower Wildfire 

4. Thunder

5. If You Lie Down With Me

 

[mlittle11 12,234]

i feel like im the only one who doesn’t really like this album. ive had a lot of time with it and i think some of the songs are great, ie: bb, textbook, wfwf, dealer, iyldwm… but a lot of the songwriting is too simple for me compared to her other music. dare i say i like chemtrails more… 

[slang 1,533]

The album, by itself, works fine for me, with quite a lot of LDR-classics on it; however, you sort of have to rate stuff for what it is genre-wise, and not what you especially like, genre-wise. I see BB as part of a trilogy, with NFR being psychedelic folk, COCC being future-retro Americana (dare I say, country), and finally BB as her future-retro but old-school Broadway-type songs. I mean if BB songs had been part of a Broadway musical, I think it would have been a huge hit, and yet BB doesn't have much Rick Nowells (except for CB), who, if I remember rightly, once made a suggestion for a foray into Broadway. However, the older songs on the album might have been the cause of his suggestion rather than an effect.
 

[Make me your Dream Life 88,927]

w how narcisism was an overall topic on nfr, i think this record's one of her most intimately powerful in how she breaks literal cycles and grows out of them. most people don't have or don't even get to this sort of level of awareness so powerful 

[Beautiful Loser 49,724]

Ok, I don't think I had time to write about my thoughts on the album when it was released so I'll stay up tonight to type when down now, song by song! (but if I did write about it previously, here's my updated thoughts on it I guess lol)

Text Book

Spoiler

Iconic intro, as expected by Lana's first tracks. This song is so honest, and something in me wants to think this is the most honest she's ever been in a song. She's longing to be seen for who she is, but both Lana and her partner knows she can't be everything he wishes for her to be. This is a topic that comes back later in the album. She wants so badly to be accepted for who she is, but he can't see her, and she can't quite see that their relationship will last, even if she wonders if things will be better if she goes blonde (ironically? seriously? I'm gonna guess she knows it won't fix anything but she's willing to try)

I'm no expert on daddy issues, but what I understand from the things Lana tells me in this song is that she's looking for someone who subcontiously reminds her of her father, of a time past when things were perhaps better than what they are now. She's found someone like that, someone who might've been as broken as she is, someone she's willing to let them change her life and rewrite her story... even if that might be impossible.

I personally love the BLM line, although some here don't. For me, it shows her beliefs, who she is as a person at her core, that she cares. At in just for a moment, someone sees that side of her and understands her. I think it meant a lot to her, perhaps especially after the backlash of QotC and people trying to cancel her.

Blue Banisters

Spoiler

I absolutely adore this song and can't understand how some doesn't like it more. It got everything: Lana's world building, her current style of writing lyrics by mixing in everyday moments with friends and family, a gorgeous instrumental. The way she tells the story and how it leads up to this, I don't know what to call it, but her being stuck in the past with her dried flowers, memories of a past lover making her feel so very alone, how he betrayed her by making her believe something more would come after helping her with the house. But then there's a light, her friends and family who are there to support her and keep her spirits up. It's a very beautiful song to me, from the story to the haunting instrumental to the way she delivers the lines. Love the outro. 

Arcadia

Spoiler

Not a favorite of mine. First time I heard it, I felt like it could've been one of her poems and then it turned out to be true; she did make a poem into a song. It sounds so much like LA who am I to love you to me, the way she compares her body to Californian landmarks and how she can't live without it but doesn't quite feel at ease either. Like the theme in Chemtrails (album), she makes it sound like she's ready to leave everything behind and start somewhere new - let's see if it turns true or not, but, for now, I think she still has a reason to stay or come back after being away for a while.

The cello sounds like a ghost lurking behind me and it honestly makes me look over my shoulder everytime I hear it in the verses. It's sweet. She sings the choruses beautifully. But it personally does nothing to me. I also feel like this would've been perfect in a musical.

Interlude - The Trio

Spoiler

A BOP! Blew my mind when I first heard it in the music video. Do I love it? Yes. But I don't quite understand why it's on the album. I've watched the movie the song is sampled from (although it's been a while so I don't remember it all) but I can't quite see a connection. A transition to "the bad" side of her maybe? Maybe.

Black Bathing Suit

Spoiler

Relatable queen. "If this is the end, I want a boyfriend//Someone to eat ice cream with, or watch television". This pandemic can make us feel lonely, especially for those of us who tries to/has to stay indoors most of the time. At times, I'm tired of this shit too (if the pandemic is the "shit" she sings about).

She's being kinda harsh on this song. "You don't know me any better than they do". Who are they? Us, her fans? Media? Family? It would hurt quite a lot if you're seeing someone romantically and they tell you that you really don't know them at all. She claims she's an angel, but bad at the same time. I think this is her way to express her thoughts on the criticism lately. She's a sweet and kind person, we know that. But fans and people still find things she does or says wrong. It can't be easy. She's always the "bad" person no matter what she does, so we can just wait and watch and be sure she'll be bad sometime again. Still, she sings about wanting to be seen for who she truly is, for someone to see her soul.

I think the slightly unorganized and chaotic outro symbolizes her inner thoughts or mood. She thinks she did something good or explained herself well, but people misinterpret her; her world is chaotic, perhaps questioning herself or people judging her.
In the end, any interest will be good for her artistery. But the sad piano at the end and the way she sings "your interest really made stacks out of it for me, so thanks for that" almost with irony in her voice makes me think that she's not really happy about it at all. "Let 'em talk about me", "we'll have the last laugh about it". She makes it sound like she doesn't care what people thinks, but... I think she does, deep inside. I know I would if I were in a similar situation.

If You Lie Down With Me

Spoiler

I love this song, especially the outro.

So here we have Lana loving a man who's not interested in her anymore, not really. She wants him to treat her like things are still okay, and she doesn't want to hear that he's "over her" because it's too late for her. She's already too deeply in love with him to willingly let them part ways.
I suppose this guy has a habit of lying, which is why she's begging (hoping?) him will keep lying to her that he still wants her so she can stay happy for a bit longer.

It feels like a classic Lana song in terms of lyrics, and I'm totally here for it.

Beautiful

Spoiler

The message is clear: see her for who she is, let her do things her way, support her.

I haven't read "Women who runs with the wolves" but, judging from reviews by those who has read it, it seems to be a book for the general public (without any deeper understanding of psychology) which encourages women to break free from expectations, embrace themselves, connect with their wilder side which makes them strong(er). Encouraging women to create art, and be passionate. It really sounds like it spoke to Lana, seeing how she even turned into a warewolf in the video for Chemtrails.
She's simply asking the listener to let her be this woman the book describes.

I like to think that the "I can turn blue into something beautiful, like you" is Lana turning failed relationships into beautiful songs, and remembering these persons she sings about for the nicer side and the good memories of them.

Violets for Roses

Spoiler

I guess this is a song to remember to like who you are, to stay true to yourself, and to not change unless you're okay with it. And I guess this is Lana enjoying the company of her friends instead of a guy who wasn't right for her, and seeing new, better changes which will bring her and them into a better future. The girls without masks symbolizing hope for a brighter future without worries and problems.

Dealer

Spoiler

Now this is interesting, with Miles Kane singing the majority of the song. I might've overplayed this song the past months when I got too stressed and anxiety took over. WHY CAN'T YOU BE GOOD FOR SOMETHING???
I was SO happy to see the song on the tracklist, and I'm really glad she decided to release it. I admit, I've mostly been vibing to this song and haven't tried to understand it on a deeper level. I leave the interpretation to the comments on genius.com for now.

Thunder

Spoiler

I really like this version of the song! It builds up anticipation, the piano works well together with the guitar and strings. I think it fits in well with the album, but I also think the leaked version, which had more drums from the beginning, would've fit in well after Dealer too. I think that version sounds more cheerful and exciting, while the album version is beautiful. Either way, I'm very grateful to see it got officially released.

Wildflower Wildfire

Spoiler

"Here's the deal, cuz I know you wanna talk about it" is an excellent opening line! It catches the listener's attention and makes us wonder what it is she think she knows we want to ask her.

In this song, I think Lana compares her love to a fire and a flower; the fire that burns too hot, too quickly, which scares people away, and a flower which refuses to give up. But she promises this person that she won't be like that, because she wants them to stay.

I'm just genuinely shocked she decided to have the line about her mother (sorry, his wife), since it feels like it's not something she's comfortable sharing or tell people about. However, she promised she'd tell what's up with her and the gaps we can't fill in. So maybe I shouldn't have been shocked.

An excellent song, I just wish the intrumental could've been different. Maybe.

Nectar of the Gods

Spoiler

I loved this song when it leaked. But now, it just feels so... old. So very old Lana. It doesn't fit in with the rest of the songs on the album and their lyrics, at least not to me. But, I guess, it has something in common with the previous song, that she falls in love hard and fast.

I wrote my interpretation of the lyrics in the song's thread sometime ago, so check that out if you wanna.

Living Legend

Spoiler

Same thing here, love the song, but I can't quite see why she decided to add it to the album now, when it's quite old. The "guns in the summertime" line feels old to me. If this is Lana thinking back to old memories, I can accept that. It's a beautiful song. I still like it. Just a bit confused why it was added now.

Cherry Blossom

Spoiler

I strongly believe Lana put this on the album because of her sister's pregnancy, and that makes me accept it on the album more easily. Another song I'm really happy for getting an official release, as it is a very sweet song. I think I've written down my thoughts on the song somewhere in the lyrics thread too, but, yeah, maybe this is just a lullaby or a beautiful song she came up with in her mind. In the same sense she's sung about "my man" or being married to someone, I think this is her dreaming of a child sometime in the future. But I think this is dedicated to her niece now. And that's beautiful.

Sweet Carolina

Spoiler

This makes me WEEP. I think anyone with a sister or close female friend or relative can relate to this song. There's just so much love poured into this song, from the lyrics, to the high notes and delivery, and Lana's father playing the piano. I don't think it matters if people likes it or not, I think that it means something to Lana, and her sister, and their bond is special enough.

I'm not even pregnant, not even close to be lmao, but even I have wondered if post-partum depression is something I might be facing in the future as well. It's supposed to be your happiest time, but for some, it isn't. That can be a scary thought, and it's just so comforting to hear Lana express how much she loves her sister and how everyone who loves her will be there for her, no matter what happens. I don't even think you have to be pregnant or know someone who is or has been to feel the love in this song. It's just so comforting to know that someone will always be there for you, in good and bad times. And it can be so comforting to hear Lana sing it when you need a reminder. And it can be comforting to know that Lana's music will be there for you if you need it to feel less lonely and more understood.

 

In summary, I think this album is Lana really wanting to be seen and accepted for who she is, that she's trying to accept that not everyone will, and to appreciate the little things in life and her friends and family.

[The Siren 30,526]

why are they so expensive now

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/20739280?ev=rb

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/20724241?ev=rb

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/20691136?ev=rb

[TRENCH 15,450]

Lie To Me, Wallflower Wildflower in top 10 of all discography I fear? 

 

but yeah im listening to the album high and wow..... yeah her top 5 album in this discography.  I have been annoyed by the 500 piano songs lately but they are so clean and beautiful to hear, like finding unique chords for piano songs 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 this is lana reflecting on the BTD era 

 

that guitar in nectar of the god woooooooo  

 

[DeadAgainst 1,515]

On 1/21/2022 at 12:33 PM, TrashMagiq said:

If this album had better mixing I probs would like it way better. Idk any musical terms or w/e but it sounds thick it sounds muffled like theres this thick nasty gray thick syrup-y consistency in my ears while im listening to it idk if this makes any sense but it does it’s just not pleasant to the ears. It makes it less replayable for me.

 

I have always been a big evangelist for Lana being best heard on vinyl. Someone uploaded the whole album to YT so you can hear for yourself: 

 

[colaandvideogames 3,121]

The day is Wednesday in the cold Midwest winter. The sun has set and there is a chill in the air. My boyfriend is driving the two of us downtown, to escape from the reality of it all. He's got one hand on the wheel and the other pressed gently on my jeans. The typical spot for it.
 

Onto the highway I watch as the brite lites of the city glimmer in the distance. Heat Waves by Glass Animals blares on the radio as I sing to myself.

 

"Sometimes all I think about is youuuu... late nights in the middle of Juuuune..."

 

I smile to myself as I remember Lana's instagram post singing the same song in her car. I've loved her since the 7th grade. She's been with me through it all. The good, the bad and of course... the ugly.

 

And that is the moment it happens.

Looking out the passenger window, I see it. All I can do is SCREAM out as my boyfriend looks over in concern.

 

"What is it?!”

 

"Look!! LOOK!!!" I say, pointing out the window.

 

There it is. In all its beauty. Deep in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. The most beautiful billboard I've ever seen. I can't contain my excitement as he pulls to the side of the road for me to take a picture of it. My whole night is made. It is beautiful. I feel as if the Glass Animals song made it appear out of nowhere as I thought of Lana. But no. It couldn't be.

 

We both continue the drive downtown, the tall buildings ahead of us. I've fallen even more in love with the city. And it seems as if the lights are sparkling... sparkling just for me.

 

 

Spoiler

Sorry for the short story but finding a Lana billboard was a huge deal for me the other night 

 

[Vertimus 9,679]

I'm glad to hear the album has aged well for most here, as it has for me.

 

Three tracks still haven't come to life for me (one being the Trio, which I've known in its original form since I was a boy from the Ennio Morricone TGTB&TU score), but everything else has.

 

Right now, it's my favorite of Lana's albums. I really like where she's coming from on all the newly-written songs, and also on IYLDWM, which we know was written some time ago. 

 

I'm glad BBS has a pop-music chorus, since I think pop music is one of Lana's fortes. IYLDWM and VFR are now among my Top 5 personal favorites of all of Lana's songs. I play those three the most, but 'Arcadia' has also really grown on me--it fits well here, but would also have fit well on COCC, I think, in terms of message and sound. 

 

CB, NOFG and LL, I've loved since they leaked, so I play them less. 'Thunder' is good in its present form, though I prefer the demo version.  

 

TB and WFWF are tremendous, and underscore an apparent shift in her songwriting---there's no way other singer-songwriters can ignore her now, or consider her a niche act, not after '13 Beaches,' 'Hope,' 'The Greatest,' 'Mariner's Apartment Complex,' 'Yosemite,' 'White Dress' and these two tracks. We know Lana's songs will be covered by many in the years and decades to come--Cat Power has just covered 'White Mustang.' 

 

A lot of great musical artists have nonetheless also released a lot of bad songwriting--I'm thinking of Stevie Nicks right now, whose discography ratio of good to bad is fairly pointed, or even Bruce Springsteen, Tori Amos, or 21 Pilots. 

 

In my opinion, Lana's good-to-bad ratio is very strong, easily falling on the 'mostly good' side. On all her albums combined and her unreleased work from her LDR period, I can think of less than 10 songs I consider poor, weak, rushed-sounding or underdeveloped, like 'Coachella,' or some of the minor tracks on BTD (and on BTD, I don't really place the responsibility on her shoulders, because she didn't have complete control then). 

 

For me, BB is something of a crowning achievement, and, despite WFWF, overall has a fairly light touch. 

 

 

[PARADIXO 33,124]

Blue Banisters is simply amazing 

[Umaniac 1,917]

Why is the album version of ww is so bad quality? To an extend that I have to skip it in the album order. Not that the single one was great in quality but 

[lizzys 1,624]

1 minute ago, Umaniac said:

Why is the album version of ww is so bad quality? To an extend that I have to skip it in the album order. Not that the single one was great in quality but 

wfwf is an amazing song, definitely one of my favorites from bb, but either it’s the quality damage after uploading on streaming platforms or it’s the production that’s bad. whenever i listen to it i can hear very clear crackles when she sings the higher notes it’s bugging me

[bluechemtrails 27,348]

Anyone like me hoping for a surprise single release on Valentine's Day? Violets for Roses or IYLDWM seem to be the most suitable candidates for that.

[mlittle11 12,234]

this album still hasn’t grown on me for some reason. i see its potential but i never go back to listen to it. it makes me so sad bc i was really looking forward to this release. i only go back to the three singles and sweet carolina.  does anyone else feel this way?