Too much piano for Lana lately?

[Charlottexseax]

I don't know if it's just me, but lately I've been kinda let down by Lana's production? More specifically, how some songs are just piano chords and her

 

Now don't get me wrong I love the piano (hell I play it lol) but I feel like Lana's lyrics and voice shine best either with a more orchestral production (Honeymoon, Born To Die) or with a jazzy, psychedelic one (Ultraviolence)

 

Now I do believe in some songs the piano is really effective at conveying a certain atmosphere (with hope is a dangerous thing or Cherry Blossom), but I can't help thinking that a rich sound like in Salvatore, Venice Bitch, West Coast, BB, SoC, Blue Velvet, etc... would really turn the songs around

 

Thoughts? 

[Ultra Violet]

Lately as in 2017-early 2021 yes, but from these 3 recent songs, piano is almost the last thing I remember because her lyrics have upgraded, and there's no more bland jack production.

 

I could listen to her voice with piano for an eternity if it is like Old Money, Million Dollar Man (piano version), Bel Air & Is This Happiness, and not only because there was also strings and more, but because the piano was rich, touching, like a fantasy, and actually made me feel things. If I had the piano stems for those songs, I'd listen to them over and over, but definitely wouldn't bother for anything post-2016.

In LFL, NFR and COTCC, the piano comes off as lacklustre. Orchestral and Psychedelic are definitely my favourite styles for Lana too, but I just wish they'd get the right atmosphere with her recent piano ballads, like they used to, and then I'd never even think about it lacking anything! 

[Yosemite]

11 minutes ago, Charlottexseax said:

Thoughts? 

And prayers

[gasstationkween]

I think these three new songs are a step in the right direction 

[Ultra Violet]

2 minutes ago, gasstationkween said:

I think these three new songs are a step in the right direction 

I second that! 

[americangothic]

It all comes down to the producer and whoever is playing the piano. Some producers are more skilled than others in terms of creating an interesting atmosphere with the piano. I don't mind Lana + piano ballads. It's kind of her thing, ever since "Video Games". But yeah, compare "Bel Air" or "Bartender" to "Chemtrails" or "Let Me Love You Like A Woman". A downgrade, truly. Still love the tracks, tho

[COCC]

10 minutes ago, gasstationkween said:

I think these three new songs are a step in the right direction 

I third that! 

[Flowerbomb]

I completely agree with you. Ugh I know I drone on about this but I think there's a huge difference between piano chords that sound the same throughout the entire song due to TOO much simplicity, and the piano chords where it actually has a lot of complex arrangements. I do think BB is a step in the right direction though, as there seems to be a lot of different elements throughout BB, TB and WW so I'll give her that lol. I think Lana's punchier vocals help this time around too

[Deadly Nightshade]

I totally get what you are saying. I think that the production is very important when we talk about songs that are predominantly piano-based. The fact that they were more layers and stronger vocals in the new songs really made the listening experience miles better for me . I hope that she experiments more in this album than she did in the previous one .

That's my opinion though 

[I Come In Peace]

I feel like I've honestly had it with her style of production in the last few albums, even the new songs I find them to be so dull and boring...

Lana's voice works better with orchestral/psychedelic production for me and I just wish the deepness of her productions that were until LFL (to me that where the downgrade began, but it gets worse with each album).

[Nightmare]

yeah, totally too much piano. her unreleased catalog shows us how she can be interesting and how she's capable of switching things up. i don't get why she's stuck in this piano/ballad-comfort zone. the new songs are "okay", but don't you wanna evolve a bit? try new sounds? whole different production? we know she's capable of doing it while still sounding like her true self. so idk... hoping things will change someday. she kinda fell off.

[bluefiona]

Not with these new songs so far.

[Charlottexseax]

3 hours ago, americangothic said:

It all comes down to the producer and whoever is playing the piano. Some producers are more skilled than others in terms of creating an interesting atmosphere with the piano. I don't mind Lana + piano ballads. It's kind of her thing, ever since "Video Games". But yeah, compare "Bel Air" or "Bartender" to "Chemtrails" or "Let Me Love You Like A Woman". A downgrade, truly. Still love the tracks, tho

yeah that’s what I meant, she definitely can pull off piano songs (again I LOVE Cherry Blossom and Fine China) but lately it’s been way too manh

 

like if COCC was a folk song on guitar in Sirens style it would be miles better imo 

[palemoonbaby]

Didn't Lana say she wanted recording music which is really minimalistic and stripped down?

[sweetie]

Well, Text Book doesn't have piano (at least I can't hear it) and it's the best out of the 3 so...  You made some points.

[UltraviolentJack]

100% I really love BB & WW but I just wish they had more to them instrumentation wise. Especially WW I feel like it deserved some eerie synths or something. I mean she can make the music she wants to make but I miss the Honeymoon production where it was still minimal and sparse but with hints of lush backdrops. 

[jvcx]

Objectively speaking, her best tracks are the ones with cinematic strings. And West Coast.

[ChaoticLipster]

6 hours ago, Charlottexseax said:

I don't know if it's just me, but lately I've been kinda let down by Lana's production? More specifically, how some songs are just piano chords and her

 

Now don't get me wrong I love the piano (hell I play it lol) but I feel like Lana's lyrics and voice shine best either with a more orchestral production (Honeymoon, Born To Die) or with a jazzy, psychedelic one (Ultraviolence)

 

Now I do believe in some songs the piano is really effective at conveying a certain atmosphere (with hope is a dangerous thing or Cherry Blossom), but I can't help thinking that a rich sound like in Salvatore, Venice Bitch, West Coast, BB, SoC, Blue Velvet, etc... would really turn the songs around

 

Thoughts? 

I prefer her more cinematic songs and heavy songs like you mentioned. I like COCC and the three new songs but it isn’t really what I’d like from her.  So I do feel a little underwhelmed but still like the music. I have different moods so sometimes I feel like Blue Banisters and NFR type songs and other times I prefer West Coast and Venice Bitch. 

2 hours ago, palemoonbaby said:

Didn't Lana say she wanted recording music which is really minimalistic and stripped down?

Yes and she’s done that for a few albums now so time to go back to full on production 

[katebusho]

nah keep going L

[nothinggoldcanstay]

Babes, I don't think the cinematic strings will be happening for a long, long time. 

 

I also think these three songs are really opening a new portal for Lana's career. She's going to slay us so hard with the album. Just wait.