Blue Banisters - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[Fingertips 72,034]

and I don't want to be a debbie downer, @The Love Witch, but once an artist gets older and begins to receive more acclaim and recognition for their abilities as a songwriter, they very rarely go back to the sound of the old days. They usually continue exploring and experimenting in that same universe. I love that you love those records, so I hope you continue to cherish those albums!

[Crazy Husband Thief 3,904]

3 minutes ago, Obduration said:

I’m just not 14-16 anymore and don’t relate to her older albums like I used to. I like her evolution and think BB and NFR showcases her strongest singer songwriter capabilities.

 

ALSO Blue Banisters has dealer so instant #1 for me

 

3 minutes ago, Thunder said:

Very much disagree, both on a lyrical and musical basis. Sorry that you aren't enjoying the folkier sound.

The songs from her last three albums are almost indistinguishable from another. What I loved about Lana was that she somewhat changed up the sound with every album. Now, she seems plain lazy and uninspired even going as far as reusing some lame outtakes that have already leaked instead of going for an Anthology album like she teased.

I'm just sick of country/folk. It has always been my least favorite genre. I don’t listen to Lana Del Rey for her vocals cause lbr they are not that great. I liked the interplay between her catchy and sad melodies and the cinematic production that is now gone. It makes me mad I have to sit through three albums that sound like they were all recorded in the same session. Y’all can’t tell me it doesn’t bore you at least a BIT.

4 minutes ago, Thunder said:

and I don't want to be a debbie downer, @The Love Witch, but once an artist gets older and begins to receive more acclaim and recognition for their abilities as a songwriter, they very rarely go back to the sound of the old days. They usually continue exploring and experimenting in that same universe. I love that you love those records, so I hope you continue to cherish those albums!

Well in that case, I will have to burn my stan card cause her recent output is really not good.

[Rorman Nockwell 56,702]

Beautiful hits differently on good speakers in a quiet room

Spoiler

don't tell anyone but it made me cry

 

[PatentLeatherDoOver 25,782]

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this, but Alana Champion gave some background on Sweet Carolina via Instagram (though it is a bit vague). 
 

While she never gave context, she said that her (Alana) and Chuck were having a convo where lilac iPhones and cryptocurrency came up, so Rob & Lana took their conversation & made it into a song, essentially. The convo also included them discussing the “baby blues.” No word on Kevin, though lol

[littleredpartydress 49,871]

your interest really made stacks out of it

for

me
SO THANKS FOR THAT

 

 

You said I was BAD

let me show yew

HOW BAD GIRLS DEW

 

[Taylor Secman 167]

anyone have any theories?

[That Venice Bitch 28,141]

16 minutes ago, PatentLeatherDoOver said:

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this, but Alana Champion gave some background on Sweet Carolina via Instagram (though it is a bit vague). 
 

While she never gave context, she said that her (Alana) and Chuck were having a convo where lilac iPhones and cryptocurrency came up, so Rob & Lana took their conversation & made it into a song, essentially. The convo also included them discussing the “baby blues.” No word on Kevin, though lol

Her caption gave me anxiety. And she posted my edit in that post, which was liked by Chuck and Charlie

[PatentLeatherDoOver 25,782]

Just now, That Venice Bitch said:

Her caption gave me anxiety. And she posted my edit in that post, which was liked by Chuck and Charlie

Woah, that’s actually really cool! Was it the lyric & credit photo? And yeah, her post was written so chaotically lol

[That Venice Bitch 28,141]

1 minute ago, PatentLeatherDoOver said:

Woah, that’s actually really cool! Was it the lyric & credit photo? And yeah, her post was written so chaotically lol

Yah ! The one she tagged Rob on

[FallingCherry 7,731]

3 minutes ago, Taylor Secman said:

anyone have any theories?

It’s gonna be hard to find, I’m pretty sure there are quite a few words on this album she never used before…

[rhubysyrup 4,501]

[littleredpartydress 49,871]

7 minutes ago, Taylor Secman said:

anyone have any theories?

Lineage 

[Bonita 12,531]

3 minutes ago, Taylor Secman said:

anyone have any theories?

 

Text Book, Arcadia, Sustain? i cant think of more help

[rhubysyrup 4,501]

10 minutes ago, Taylor Secman said:

anyone have any theories?

I was thinking lithium ?  she was saying how that one word described everything that happened and maybe that was what effected her emotions and personality growing up and messed her for forever. plus wfwf is like the most revealing song.

[IanadeIrey 62,020]

In regards to what the 'one word' is, Lana said it was one that affected the rest of the album. I immediately thought it was "mother" (which she says on BBS).

The matriarchal theme has never been a present theme on any album of Lana's before, yet it underlies and informs many of the experiences she sings about on this record. Our familial upbringing – particularly our relationships with our parents – undoubtedly has the most impact on the way we move through the world. 

[wildheart 904]

1 minute ago, IanadeIrey said:

In regards to what the 'one word' is, Lana said it was one that affected the rest of the album. I immediately thought it was "mother" (which she says on BBS). The matriarchal theme has never been a present theme on any album of Lana's before, yet it underlies and informs the experiences she sings about on the record. Our familial upbringing undoubtedly has the most impact on the way we move through the world. 

As someone who’s always related Lana’s music and had a really bad mother, it means a lot she’s opening up and talking about her mother. It really hits hard the fact that only now in her eight album she’s barely talking about her mother. A non romanticized version at that (she does mention her glamour in one of UV’s song). She just keeps going deep on levels of her psyche.

[Alison by Slowdive 26,146]

17 minutes ago, littleredpartydress said:

Lineage 

oh my god yes that makes sense

[Alison by Slowdive 26,146]

34 minutes ago, Taylor Secman said:

anyone have any theories?

i'm thinking either 'detriment' from text book or 'legacy' from blue banisters though i really like @littleredpartydress and @IanadeIrey's ideas too

[PatentLeatherDoOver 25,782]

Expanding on what other users have mentioned, I think it’s nice that Lana seems to be settling into a soundscape that she’s been hinting at for years now. 
 

I think that Lana’s history of drastically changing her sounds across records (trip-hop, jazzy dream pop, desert rock, folk) has made the last 3 records feel like there was no evolution of sound, but I’d argue that’s not really the case. 
 

For example, I can’t imagine something like FIILY on Blue Banisters without it sounding completely out of place. Conversely, I can’t picture Text book on NFR! at all. Regardless, I think it’s pretty normal—even with the most renowned artists—to settle into a specific genre while still maintaining a sense of novelty. 
 

Does that mean Lana will never branch out from her singer-songwriter, folky tendencies? Of course not—it’s worth mentioning that it wasn’t remotely long ago that she was toying with tracks like Doin’ Time.
 

Would I be open to seeing a huge sonic shift? Totally, but I don’t think there’s anything remotely wrong, stagnant, or lazy with where she’s at production-wise after hearing Blue Banisters in full. I think it’s similar enough to show how she wants to present herself as an artist but different enough to hold interest. Idk just my subjective thoughts on this

[Vanilla Icy 29,602]

45 minutes ago, littleredpartydress said:

Lineage 

 

i think so too. on her ig live she mentions the pattern of fragility running through her lineage and that she hasn’t been able to write as autobiographically as she’d like to because there’s a lot to unpack within her family tree.

 

the album is quite literally her text book, her history, searching for that connection with her father and finding matriarchal security in her “sisters” that wasn’t present with her own mother. she’s revealed a lot on this album, and when i listen to it i feel like she’s speaking directly to the listener letting us know exactly why she’s the way she is.