Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd - Pre-Release Thread: OUT March 24th, 2023

[Pink Flamingo 15,844]

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[rosemead ramada 5,354]

4 minutes ago, paradisetropico said:

i have not listened yet, will be waiting , but for those of us that didn’t particularly lose our wigs to the grants, will we be happy ? will we win? loved Ocean and A&W but the grants i need more time to digest i think 

the rest of the album is

Spoiler

nothing like the grants at all

 

[living legend 2,669]

i’m having a war with my mind 

 

part of me wants to cave in and listen to the leak because if i end up going to the listening party, i don’t want my first time hearing the record to be with a group of random people probably playing on the overhead speakers of the record store. i have a specific listening ritual when it comes to lana’s records and i don’t want to ruin that. 

[paradise27390 206]

Hello my loves! 

Yall don't know me coz I pop up once a year to give my take and then I'm gone again (this is how to disappear ) 

But bloody hell do I enjoy these pre-release thread.

Thanks for so much entertainment!

 

My take:

Spoiler

I see alot of comments regarding lack of cohesion a la LFL.

I for one think it's a very cohesive record. Only one jarring edition would be peppers but its still a serve!

The album as a whole is very whimsical, very ethereal in parts with it's strong lyricism of death, wandering (almost like a travel log) and I especially love the imagery of mountains that run through several songs (mountains being a strong metaphor for Heaven).

 

My partner and I love it when Lana comes back with a new record.

I met him 7 years ago next month and he had never heard of her. I got him hooked when he realised she was a walking allegory for sadness. He's attracted to anyone tragic (his heroes are Virginia Woolf, Paula Yates, Alexander Mqueen and Isabella Blow - need I say more).

Lana's work has struck a chord with him several times before but never so much as it did tonight playing these leaks.

From Paris, Texas he was gone. The pair of us sitting on the sofa, beers in hand just pissing tears.

So if that's not a strong indication of a great record I dont know what is.

He's had alot of pain in his life. We both have. And we get emotional when something stirs those feelings. Loss of loved ones particularly. This album hits hard. 

Really hard. It's shrouded in death, longing for those passed over, but hopeful too that there will be reunion in salvation.

 

There is some incredible production on this record. And Lana's vocals are heavenly. I feel she's altered her singing style once again. I can't quite put my finger on it right now it's different. Maybe a lower register? Maybe the mastering? Not sure.

But we have some career highlights on Ocean Blvd!

I can see how it may be polarizing. With every new album she takes herself further away from that original Hollywood sadcore aesthetic, and more into Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, with a splash of Lennon and Stevie Nicks thrown in. But I am here for this "enlightenment".

 

It's early days but after initial listen these are my highlights:

 

1. Margaret (she missed a trick not having this as the closing track. Perfection and sums up the main themes of the record. Very Lennon/ Stevie Nicks "Two Kinds of Love").

 

2. Paris, Texas (Victorian carousel waltz or a secret jewelry box in a dusty attic. Played it 5 times in a row. Cried. Elegant, simple and breaking. Sometimes less is more).

 

3. Fishtail (Perfect Bridge between the reflective balladry and the closing bangers. Amazing production).

 

4. The Grants (Heaven. Pure heaven. The climax of Grandmother's last smile so impactful. Perfectly sums up her intentions of this work. This album is family, those here and those gone. So moving).

 

5. Let The Light In (Can we say Lennon and Bowie making sweet sweet love??? All that talk about backdoor! Great song. Very beetles inspired. The sequel to Tomorrow Never Came. And I Live!!).

 

6. Grandfather (She really managed to conjure up the sea with this production. Just beautiful and watery images with that surf vibe build up. This song is right at home on NFR. Sequel to Mariners Complex).

 

In comparison to Blue Banisters we are a step in the right direction. 

BB had some moments but it was a bit of new lana, mixed with angry Lana, ballad lana and sprinkled with demo lana with new and old vocal styles all over the place. Not to mention coming out so soon after Cocc it was never going to spread it's wings and fly like it deserved to.

 

Ocean Blvd stands on high with NFR as a remarkable, moving body of work by a truly gifted artist, and her most poignant, honest, and dare I say, most genuine and authentic album to date. 

 

Signing off bang, bang, kiss, kiss.

 

 

 

 

 

[tulsa 2,829]

i think i failed a really important test and this album is being really comforting  

[The Grants 12,996]

when they don’t play candy necklace in the listening party… 

[AlexVirtuell 235]

Spoiler

I think I was more excited waiting for the album than actually hearing it. Most definitely the songs will grow on me, but I wish sh had gone into a more sultry, crazy, experimental, majestic direction like A&W (second half), peppers or Taco Truck. Looking back, I miss the diversity of tracks, genres and themes and honestly some of the production of lust for life. (I know, controversial.) Tunnel is a really great album, but we all know that she's capable of even so much more. her music could be so powerful, instead she choses it to be mellow most of the times. 

 

[Venice Peach 52,914]

1 minute ago, living legend said:

i’m having a war with my mind 

 

part of me wants to cave in and listen to the leak because if i end up going to the listening party, i don’t want my first time hearing the record to be with a group of random people probably playing on the overhead speakers of the record store. i have a specific listening ritual when it comes to lana’s records and i don’t want to ruin that. 

Maybe listen to it only once so your first listen is as you wanted to (without Candy Necklace sadly) and you'll still have a nice experience at the listening party since you won't remember every detail from the songs 

[ShootingNeon 763]

3 minutes ago, tulsa jesus freaks said:

i said hq babe not lq 

i’m backing your argument sis 

[Americen Whore 7,635]

I don’t know about you but I’m still waiting on that surprise  the music video(s) too 

[Sweet 959]

Wait, why is no one talking about Candy Necklace? 

[tulsa jesus freaks 9,376]

1 minute ago, ShootingNeon said:

i’m backing your argument sis 

you ate then 

[tulsa 2,829]

i hate the "she's capable of so much more" discourse so much like ?? ok ?? 

[AlexVirtuell 235]

1 minute ago, Americen Whore said:

I don’t know about you but I’m still waiting on that surprise  the music video(s) too 

 

Do you think we'll get a music video next week? And if so, for what song? peppers? 

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sorry, this was a mistake

 

 

 

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candy necklace is soooo georgeous 

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just kidding. just trolling

 

 

[The Grants 12,996]

2 minutes ago, Sweet said:

Wait, why is no one talking about Candy Necklace? 

they are holding her hostage 

[Venice Peach 52,914]

1 minute ago, AlexVirtuell said:

  Reveal hidden contents

I think I was more excited waiting for the album than actually hearing it. Most definitely the songs will grow on me, but I wish sh had gone into a more sultry, crazy, experimental, majestic direction like A&W (second half), peppers or Taco Truck. Looking back, I miss the diversity of tracks, genres and themes and honestly some of the production of lust for life. (I know, controversial.) Tunnel is a really great album, but we all know that she's capable of even so much more. her music could be so powerful, instead she choses it to be mellow most of the times. 

 

Spoiler

If the whole album was like side A I'd still love it but it would be just a natural evolution from BB (which is fine and I'm a BB stan) but the back half of the record is really different from anything she has done (from the actual pianists samples to the "bops") so I think she's going into that direction next. It's either that or a country record 

 

[Tamagotchi 443]

2 minutes ago, Sweet said:

Wait, why is no one talking about Candy Necklace? 

she's victoria's secret

[nosorangegrape 327]

Spoiler

skimmed thru all of the songs and only peppers and grandfather sound good. first impression is flop album 2bh. ill take a nap then come back to it

 

[AlexVirtuell 235]

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is there a compilation post with all the lyrics for each song?

 

[summer bummer 1,849]

i’ve listened to the tagged interludes + fingertips, sweet and peppers (peppers being the only one i feel like i can remember) but i keep telling myself to just cave and listen 😭😭 can someone convince me not to