Lana Del Rey somehow managed to become one of the main critic’s darlings in alt pop after her debut album Born To Die got mostly dismissed for all the wrong reasons. She has never been one to set the singles charts alight, but her four albums so far have sold solidly and her online fan base is massive and vocal. After launching single ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ last year, she slowly rolled out the release of her fifth studio album, titled Norman Fucking Rockwell!. A Bit of Pop Music reviews the album track by track.
01. Norman Fucking Rockwell
Lana Del Rey sets the mood for the record subtly with the title track, which like most tunes, were co-written and co-produced by Jack Antonoff. Over strings and piano, she sings about a ‘self-loathing poet’ who is also a ‘man-child’ and blames the news for his bad poetry. She brings it with such elegance and restraint, you would almost forget what she is actually singing. Although the track is stripped back, the melodies are big and compelling. It is the perfect album opener that draws the listeners in, only to take their breath away with the transition into ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’.
02. Mariners Apartment Complex
Lana Del Rey kicked off the whole campaign in September last year with the release of ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’. The song takes its sweet time to get going (it takes about 1.5 minutes before the chorus comes around), but the chorus is delicate and beautiful. The track mixes the folk elements of the second half of preceding album Lust For Life with the hints of the darker rock edges some of Ultraviolence (2014) played with. Lyrically, ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ is some of her most accomplished work yet, with a somewhat hopeful message in poetic wordings and not a whole lot of Lana-isms going on. To be fair, this sounds like a timeless classic by now.
03. Venice Bitch
On ‘Venice Bitch’, Del Rey and Antonoff push their boundaries by dropping an almost 10 minutes long epos that mixes pop melodies with long, slightly psychedelic, electric guitar solos. Del Rey herself pops up every once in a while to repeat the (very instant I must add) chorus hook or mumble some new lyrics. Of course my pop brain would have appreciated a 4 minute radio version, but something about the full version is captivating from start to finish. This could easily go down as a career highlight.
04. Fuck It, I Love You
‘Fuck It, I Love You’ serves one of Norman Fucking Rockwell‘s lighter moments in terms of playfulness in the production. She would not be true to her art though if there was some doom in the lyrics. The way she sings ‘dream a little dream of me’ is captivating and the manner in which she almost disguises the title with her pronunciation and tone is interesting to say the least. Sonically the tune could be described as a lighter and more straightforward little sister of Ultraviolence single ‘West Coast’ with a similar instrumentation, but more subtle use of the synths.
05. Doin Time
‘Doin Time’ is the only cover on the album, just like her albums Ultraviolence and Honeymoon had one. This time she took on 90s record ‘Doin Time’ by Sublime. She turns the on hip-hop leaning original into a breezy summer anthem. It is the type of tune you want to blast on the highway with an open roof. There is something soothing about the way Del Rey almost whispers the lyrics of the chorus over the chorus, with her gently belting in the background vocals as well. An excellent cover that fits right in on the album.
06. Love Song
‘Love Song’ is one of the most minimal tunes in terms of instrumentation Del Rey has ever recorded. Over absolutely minimal piano and strings, she brings an ode to her partner and his car in which they make love. It is one of those all consuming love songs in which Del Rey admits she would give up everything to be with that person. “You know that I’d just die to make you proud”, she sings with a fragile voice. Although it is a love song, the doom of how this relationship is going to end hangs all over the song. There is some big gestures in the lyrics, but the track still feels pure and sincere.
07. Cinnamon Girl
Fans of Del Rey who miss her sound of Born To Die might actually have a little extra love for ‘Cinnamon Girl’. There is some nods to her first album in the production and the lyrical content about being ruined by toxic relationships yet diving into possibly the next one is like a more mature take on the content on her debut. “If you hold me without hurting me, you’ll be the first who ever did” is a deep cutting, but absolutely stunning lyric. ‘Cinnamon Girl’ serves some of the most instant melodies on this record too and the strings and beats driven outro takes us to heaven and single-handedly ends careers all at the same time. This is honestly one of the most beautiful things she has ever put her name to and that says a lot with Lana’s standard.
08. How To Disappear
On ‘How To Disappear’ the vibe changes to that of a jazzy night club. The song has a swaying rhythm with little touches in the production that almost give it a christmassy vibe. In the lyrics, Lana starts out by singing about this dysfunctional relationship again, but in a dream-like third verse, she seems to be settled down and has a kid, looking back at all the madness she went through with this guy. The outro however hints that she will never be able to completely leave this guy behind. So many layers in the lyrics here and while realizing I am starting to repeat myself, I can’t deny this is another A+ tune in terms of melodies and production too. Del Rey and Antonoff truly are the dream team.
09. California
Only Lana Del Rey can deliver a hypnotizing chorus that lasts for a full minute. She did exactly that on ‘California’. The song is full of references to Joni Mitchell’s tune with the same name, but then seen from the other person’s perspective. Del Rey basically begs a former lover to come back to America and more specifically the place they used to spend time together in California. Del Rey gives one of the most stunning vocal performances of her career here. Something about it seems so detached, almost possessed. It gives the whole track an extra layer of darkness and we don’t mind those on a Lana Del Rey record.
10. The Next Best American Record
‘The Next Best American Record’ was initially meant to appear on the Lust For Life album (it was even its rumoured title for a while). It did not make it back then, but after a big make-over it suits right into Norman Fucking Rockwell!. The slow burning tune that lasts for almost six minutes, elaborates on how a romantic relationship Lana had burned out because they were both obsessed with ‘writing the next best American record’ which could also be seen as a metaphor for wanting to become famous. For me personally, this might be the least memorable track on this record, but that does not mean it is any less than a solid 8 out of 10 still.
11. The Greatest
‘The Greatest’ is basically a five minute long demonstration that shows why Lana Del Rey is such a unique and exciting pop star. She was at the the top of her game when she wrote this chorus, both in terms of melodies and lyrics. It is big and vivacious and balances between heartbreaking on a personal level and commenting on bigger trends. She touches upon climate change, seemingly ironically uses the slang term ‘lit’ and calls Kanye West blond and gone. There is a whole lot of double meanings to be found in these lyrics, but the ‘greatest loss of them all’ line hits every single time. Stunning!
12. Bartender
‘Bartender’ and ‘The Next Best American Record’ are the only two tracks on the record Del Rey created with just producer Rick Nowels. ‘Bartender’ is easily the more unique one. The repeated piano melodies are heavenly and Del Rey delivers on of her most outstanding vocal performance ‘stuttering’ while pronouncing the title and even ‘laughing’ in the chorus. That whispering voice is lush. The whole track is a dream like sequence and it sure is the sweet dream kind.
13. Happiness Is A Butterfly
“If he’s serial killer, then what’s the worst that can happen to a girl who is already hurt, I’m already hurt.” These might be the most Lana Del Rey like lyrics I have ever heard and yet they grab me by the throat every time I hear this song. So does the scene she paints where her lover puts her in a taxi and she is crying in the backseat with his sweater on. While Del Rey’s vocals could often be described as somewhat distant and subdued, she gives one of her more passionate and intense performances during the chorus of ‘Happiness Is A Butterfly’. It is one of the most beautiful moments on this album.
14. Hope Is A Dangerous Thing For A Woman Like Me To Have – But I Have It
Del Rey closes the album with another unexpected move. This time it is not the length of the song that stands out, but the title. On the poetic ballad she goes even deeper than usual. She touches upon her battle with depression as well as her past of alcohol abuse. The lyrics are strongly influenced by poet Sylvia Plath, whom she mentions in the chorus as well. She reviews her own whirlwind of emotions, concluding: “Don’t ask if I’m happy, you know that I’m not, but at best I can say I’m not sad.” She serves some of her most poetic lyrics on this perfect album closer which makes so much more sense in context to the body of work she presents. She goes full circle.
Lana Del Rey has received loads of praise in the past week for Norman Fucking Rockwell!. It would be too early for me to judge if it is my favourite album of hers, but I totally get why people say it is her best one. Lyrically, she stepped things up and together with Jack Antonoff she found exactly the right tone of voice within her music. While all of her records so far had their charm, Norman Fucking Rockwell! does come across as the most accomplished, balanced and well thought out. An absolute triumph of a pop album that lasts for an hour and seven minutes: Lana Del Rey did that.